Isolation of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate from a commercial South African cognate herbal mixture

Traditional medicinal trade in South Africa is a lucrative enterprise, estimated to be worth in excess of R3 billion, representing roughly 6% of the National Health budget. With approximately 27 million consumers, a rich local floral biodiversity platform and a substantial base of traditional medicinal knowledge, its impact and growth potential has not gone unnoticed by the South African government. In this regard, several draft policy bills have passed through parliament to facilitate the integration of traditional medicine into the mainstream South African healthcare system. Despite these measures, trade in traditional medicine remains fragmented and largely unregulated. The present findings highlight this aspect of the industry via identification of the common plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in a local cognate herbal remedy. Given the highly toxic nature of this substance and the strict international controls in place for regulation of its consumption, the amount of DEHP isolated (43.3 mg/L) from the mixture was seen to be unacceptably high. These observations raise further questions pertaining to quality, safety and efficacy structures within the traditional medicine sector.

► The common plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is described from a local cognate herbal preparation.
► Structure elucidation was facilitated by use of high field 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic techniques.
► The present findings raise awareness about the regulatory status of traditional medicinal trade in South Africa.