The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) has released a monograph and therapeutic compendium for Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum) and related species.
 
The publication is historic, as there has never been a pharmacopeial monograph written on yerba santa anywhere in the world.
 
There has never been a comprehensive review of the chemistry of the species as that done with the analytical help of several research groups, which included the USDA, the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi, the University of Vienna, CAMAG of Switzerland, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and veteran herbal medicine researchers Erin Smith, Christopher Hobbs, PhD, and Steven Dentali, PhD, among others.
 
The therapeutic compendium authored by Hobbs is the most comprehensive review of its kind written to date, according to AHP. The safety review was coordinated by the Botanical Safety Handbook team of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), while the botany coincided with researchers involved with a complete taxonomic revision of the genus.
 
“Yerba santa is a decidedly North American plant that has a long history of ethnobotanical use by Indigenous peoples where the plant grew, but little attention has been given to its chemistry and pharmacological potential,” said Roy Upton, AHP president and monograph editor. “AHP is grateful to the many dedicated collaborators who made this work possible and to those who provided funding for its development. When we look at the ethnobotanical record, it is clear that yerba santa is deserving of this focused research.”
 
The Yerba Santa Monograph and Therapeutic Compendium is available in PDF and print versions by ordering from the AHP website.