CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STUDY OF THE
PHARMACEUTICAL QUALITY OF SOME
CHAMOMILE COMERCIAL SAMPLES. NOTE II.
THE MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION
OANA CIOANCĂ, CORNELIA MIRCEA*, ANTONIA POIATĂ,
URSULA HELENA STĂNESCU, MONICA HĂNCIANU
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr. T. Popa” Iasi, Faculty of
Pharmacy, 16th University Str., Iasi, 700117
*corresponding author: corneliamircea@yahoo.com
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Abstract:

Dried plant products used for therapeutic purposes or as seasonings are frequently highly microbially contaminated, the thermal and chemo-resistant spores being the most problematic. They are threatening the health of the consumer directly or through their proliferation by concentrating in the final products. Given that within the European Comunity there are
regulations for Chamomillae flos, requiring strict control of the manufacturer of the raw material whether it comes from spontaneous flora or culture, we proposed an evaluation in terms of medicinal teas from the Romanian pharmaceutical market network. For a complete image of the
quality we analyzed ten chamomile samples in accordance to the requirements of the 5th European Pharmacopoeia (in force at the time the products were marketed) including the microbial contamination. We hereby present the results obtained regarding the microbial and fungal
contamination investigation. Among the microbial strains found in the investigated samples of Matricariae flos were: Aspergillus niger, Rhyzopus nigricans, Mucor mucedo, M. racemosus, Penicilium sp. Total microbial count (TMC) values for all samples were within the imposed limits,
but 80% of the chamomile samples did not comply regarding TYMC (total yeast and mould count) to actual requirements.

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