摘要：Herbal preparation have been used
for centuries as the main therapeutic means. In Italy there is an ancient tradition of using herbal remedies,
which became extremely important from the 16th to the 18th century. Nowadays multinational companies
invest great resources on herbal drugs and preparations. This article focuses on herbal medicines, herbal
products, and food supplements. Moreover the European legislation on traditional medicinal plants and food
supplements is analysed and discussed.
