Proximate Analysis of Herbal Drugs: Methods, Relevance, and Quality Control Aspects

Since the beginning of human history, people all over the world have relied on the healing properties of plants to treat a variety of illnesses. To sustain life, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, and protein are all necessary nutrients. Studying plants and their immediate environments is essential for establishing the nutritional significance of plants. The proximate composition of the food is made up of a number of different constituents, including the moisture content, ash content, fat content, protein content, and carbohydrate content. The food industry may be concerned with these food materials for product improvement, quality control (QC), or monitoring purposes. Rapid QC methods or more precise but time-consuming official processes may be applied. Assessment of a consistent and representative sample, as well as accurate results, requires meticulous attention to detail during the sample collection and preparation phases. The valuation methods for moisture content, ash value, crude lipid, total carbohydrates, starch, total free amino acids, and total proteins are presented in a clear manner. The chemical composition of the feed determines its potential nutritive value; hence, the proximate principles are established first in the evaluation of feed quality. Considering their nutritional relevance can help determine their value because many herbal plant species are used for food in addition to their medical properties.