Studies On Sterilization Process For Some Traditional Products Of Herbal Medicine By Gamma Radiation

Herbal eyebright products and their raw materials have been irradiated with 1, 2, 3 and 5 kGy by Co-60 gamma radiation source at Hanoi Irradiation Center (VINATOM) for sterilization. Initial bioburdens were under the limitation levels established for the traditional medicines according to the decree of 16/2011/TT-BYT issued by Vietnam Health Ministry. These values for both bacteria and fungus slightly increased during storage to three months, reach to about 10³ and 10² CFU/g for bacteria and mold, respectively. However, there are no microbial colony could be observed in the samples irradiated with dose higher than 3 kGy, suggested that the radiation dose of 3 kGy was enough for sterilization of eyebright raw powders and products. At higher radiation dose of 5 kGy, the moisture and vitamin A content of the samples were insignificantly changed. These mean the radiation treatment with lower dose did not influenced on the quality of eyebright products, and radiation treatment can be applied to prolong the storage of not only eyebright, but also other traditional medicines. (author)