Özet:

Herbal products have been widely used all over the world for thousands of years. As interest in complementary and alternative therapy increases, consumption of herbal teas is also on the rise. However, frequent or massive use of these products, particularly in special populations, may result in toxicity due to potential exposure to some elements. A possible source of contamination in herbal products may be environmental pollution, reaching the plants through air, soil, and water. In addition, product processing steps can also present another source of metal contamination. Linden is among the most frequently consumed herbal teas to relieve colds and coughs, especially in winter. Since linden trees may be planted on the roadsides due to their beautiful appearance; element levels may be a concern in linden herbal tea samples. Heavy metals and other toxic elements may pose a health hazard to human and animal health; therefore, their levels in herbal substances must be under control within the regulatory framework. In this review, current articles on the element levels of linden herbal teas and the toxicology of these elements were evaluated. While based on the current findings it can be concluded that the probability of linden herbal teas exceeding the limits for Cd, Pb, and Hg appears to be low, the occurence of a few samples with higher than limit values necessitates further assessments.

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