Starting Dose Calculation for Medicinal Plants in Animal Studies; Recommendation of a Simple and Reliable Method

Background and purpose: Research studies indicate that almost 80% of the present day drugs are derived directly or indirectly from medicinal plants. The estimation of a safe starting dose is a concern when a new substance is to be investigated including medicinal plants, in clinical and laboratory studies. This study was intended to explore a simple and reliable method of calculating the starting dose for animal studies. Actually, the method helps to calculate the accurate animal dose based on Persian medicine. Methods: After the botanical names were identified, the dosages of the plants recommended in Persian medicine (PM) were converted to gram unit. Then the body surface area normalization method (BSA) was used for an allometric dose translation. Results: Ninety eight plants were identified and their effective parts and dosages were determined based Persian medicine. Conclusions: Dosing calculations for drugs could be performed based both on BSA method and experiences of ancient Persian scholars.