BU Library: Toolkit for BU Alumni: Herbal Sci

Database Options (free and Otherwise)

Free Databases
Subscription Database

Agricola Books, articles, short reprints, chapters and reports from the National Agricultural Library. Limited full text.
Bountiful Herbs Botanical Medicine Database 159 herbs searchable by indication, symptoms, herb actions and energetics. Comprises modern Western phytotherapy, Naturopathic botanical medicine, Native American plant medicine, Eclectic/ Physio-medicalist traditions, Oriental medicine, and Ayurvedic medicine traditions. Download the software and add your own herbs and notes. Note: currently the database is free, but upgrades will require a fee. Double-click on the name of the herb to view the monograph. The tutorials and FAQs have useful information.
Directory of Open Access Indexes and provides free access to high quality, open access, peer-reviewed journals. For full-text only, click on Advanced Search, Full-Text Language (on the left).
Google Scholar Searches only scholarly sources (no commercial ones) including articles, theses, books, abstracts professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites.
HerbList From the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, HerbList gives you fast, free access to science-based summaries on more than 50 popular herbs, such as aloe, chamomile, ginger, and turmeric.
HerbMed Evidence-based resource that links to the scientific data underlying the use of herbs for health for professionals, researchers, and general public.
IBIS (Integrative BodyMind Information System) Compilation of nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy, mind/body therapies and more. Download for free by entering your email address to receive a serial number and instructions.
Labdoor.com An independent company that tests supplements to fiind out whether products have what they claim and if any harmful ingredients or contaminants are present.
MedlinePlus Herbs & Supplements Effectiveness, dosage, and drug interactions info for commonly used dietary supplements, herbal remedies and drug interactions. Consumer oriented.
Memorial Sloan Kettering: Info About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products Evidence-based information about herbs, botanicals, supplements, and more.
Natural Medicines (alumni) Extensive research reviews of botanical and dietary supplements, and other complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Reviews include evidence tables that evaluate primary research studies, and bottom line summations of efficacy. Free for AANP members and Heal-WA eligible participants.
PubMed (Medline) Comprises more than 24 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. CAM information is also indexed. Citations may include links to full-text

Database Options

After you graduate, consider purchasing a select few databases in order to practice efficiently. Fortunately, individual subscriptions are often reasonably priced. Some, however, are available to organizations but not individuals. Investigate your options before you commit to purchasing. For example, what resources are available at your local public and academic libraries? Talk to the librarians and tell them what you’re interested in. Below is a list of databases to consider. Click on the link for subscription information.Still not sure, contact your friendly librarians!

Natural Medicines (alumni) Extensive research reviews of botanical and dietary supplements, and other complementary and alternative medicine therapies. Reviews include evidence tables that evaluate primary research studies, and bottom line summations of efficacy. Free for AANP members and Heal-WA eligible participants.
Consumerlab.com Provides independent test results verifying the contents of brand name health, wellness, and nutrition products. Test results for some brand name products are available for free but full results are provided only to subscribers. Free with a Seattle Public Library card.

Herbal Monographs

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP)
AHP Monographs are available in the BU Library in print format only and are shelved in the Reference Section, call number RS141 .A65. AHP mission: "...to promote the responsible use of herbal medicines and ensure they are used with the highest possible degree of efficacy and safety." From their website.
NOTE: these materials don't circulate, during Covid restrictions, please email library@bastyr.edu if you need AHA monograph access.
Expanded Commission E Monographs
The expanded version of the German Commission E mongraphs which, unlike the original version, includes references to source material. On the American Botanical Council website Resources list (see Library A-Z databases page for login info).
World Health Organization (WHO) Monographs v.1 - 4
Scientific information on the safety, efficacy, and quality control of widely used medicinal plants.

Professional Associations

American Botanical Council (ABC)
The American Botanical Council, incorporated in 1988, is the leading nonprofit educational and research organization disseminating science-based information that promotes the safe and effective use of medicinal plants and phytomedicines. See HerbalMediaWatch for current news.
Americal Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP)
Creating standard-setting herbal monographs to ensure the highest quality herbal medicine extracts.
American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)
Founded in 1983, the AHPA is the national trade association and voice of the herbal products industry. Herbal FAQs, Resource Links and Press Room are useful. News and other information are accessible only to members.
American Herbalists Guild (AHG)
An association of herbal practitioners established in 1989. Encourages high standards of education and ethics, and promotes herbal research.
United Plant Savers (UpS)
"A non-profit education corporation dedicated to preserving native medicinal plants."

Websites

Botanical.com
Contains an electronic version of "A Modern Herbal" by Maud Grieve, and article index, book reviews and other useful features.
David Winston's Center for Herbal Sciences
See Resources for articles, materia medica and information about eclectic and Thomsonian medicine and more.
Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
These databases contain information on the activity of chemicals in plants, and ethnobotanical uses for plants. Databases are searchable by plant(scientific or common name), chemical (e.g., ascorbic acid), or activity (e.g., antiviral).
Henriettes Herbal Homepage
“Herbal medicine and culinary herbs: one of the oldest and largest herbal information sites on the net.” Includes electronic versions of historical texts. You must register (it's free) in order to use the search engine. Go to Create New Account on the bottom left-side of page.
Herbal e-Library
A compendium of resources vetted by the American Herbal products association.
Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions
From the website: Clues for new medicines are hidden in old books reporting centuries of therapeutic experiences and practice. We trace these documents worldwide, decipher and interpret their texts, and repurpose their information for new scientific research.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)
Authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
Internet Directory for Botany
A well-maintained site from the Botanical Museum, Finnish Museum of Natural History in Helsinki, the Directory’s categories include ethnobotany, herbal medicine and poisons. Hundreds of links are compiled, many of which are accompanied by useful annotations.
Lloyd Library
Focuses on medicinal plants, botany, and pharmacy, Also includes Information about Eclectic medicine.
Matthew Wood: Sunnyfield Herb Farm
A practicing herbalist since 1982 inspired to learn, preserve, and practice the tradition of herbal medicine descending to us from our European, Anglo-American, and Native American heritage. See his books in the main collection.
MediHerb.com
Created by Paul Bergner, medical herbalist and clinical nutritionist. Free articles from the first 16 years of publication of Medical Herbalism from 1989 - 2005, and much more.
Native American Ethnobotany
"A database of foods, drugs, dyes and fibers of Native American peoples, derived from plants." Sponsored by the University of Michigan--Dearborn.
The Plant List (Kew Gardens)
"A working list of all known plant species. The Plant List provides the Accepted Latin name for most species, with links to all Synonyms by which that species has been known. It also includes Unresolved names for which the contributing data sources did not contain sufficient evidence to decide whether they were Accepted or Synonyms."
Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
Created by Michael Moore, a prolific author. This site contains interesting texts, and a long list of botanical woodcuts, images, and illustrations.
The Sustainable Herbs Program
An interactive site created by the producers of "Numen: The Nature of Plants" to celebrate the values of herbal medicine and show consumers there is more to herbal medicine than a product on a shelf. Guided presentations will educate about the herb industry overall and also about commodity chains and sustainability more broadly.

Herbs

Creator Unknown; public domain via Wikimedia Commons