Evaluation of Quality Parameters of Selected Commercial Herbal Products for Malaria Management Sold in Kano Markets

Commercial herbal antimalarial products constitute a large segment of the self-medication market in Kano State, North West Nigeria, where informal healthcare access and low-cost preferences drive their widespread adoption. This study evaluates the physicochemical and microbiological quality parameters of ten commercially sold herbal antimalarial products sourced from three major markets in Kano: Sabon Gari, Singer, and Kantin Kwari. Samples were evaluated in accordance with WHO and NAFDAC guidelines on herbal product quality. Parameters assessed included pH, moisture content, total ash, microbial load (total aerobic count, yeast and mould count, absence of Salmonella and E. coli), heavy metal screening, and presence of declared active phytochemical markers by thin layer chromatography. Three of ten products exceeded acceptable microbial count limits, with yeast and mould levels above 10(4) cfu/g in two samples. Moisture content above 12% was recorded in four products, indicating potential stability and microbial contamination risks. Lead was detected above permissible limits in two products. TLC analysis revealed absence of claimed active markers in three products. These quality failures indicate widespread non-compliance among commercially marketed herbal antimalarial products in Kano and underscore the urgent need for strengthened NAFDAC pre-market screening and post-market surveillance activities. Keywords: herbal product quality, antimalarial, Kano, NAFDAC, physicochemical parameters