Herbal Medicine Interaction API

A lightweight, zero-dependency API for querying herb-drug interactions. Serves 592 interactions across 250 medicinal plants and 53 drug classes. Runs as a single Python file or Node.js script.

Try the web tool | Browse the plant database | Botanica Andina

Quick start

Python

python3 server.py
# API running at http://localhost:8080

Endpoints

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	/herbs	List all 250 herbs
GET	/herbs/:id	Get herb by ID
GET	/drugs	List all 53 drug classes
GET	/interactions	List all 592 interactions
GET	/interactions?herb=:id	Filter by herb
GET	/interactions?drug=:id	Filter by drug class
GET	/interactions?severity=alta	Filter by severity
GET	/check?herb=:id&drug=:id	Check specific interaction

Example

# Check if turmeric interacts with anticoagulants
curl http://localhost:8080/check?herb=curcuma&drug=anticoagulantes

# Response:
{
  "herb": {"id": "curcuma", "name": "Cúrcuma", "scientific": "Curcuma longa"},
  "drug_class": {"id": "anticoagulantes", "name": "Anticoagulantes"},
  "interaction": {
    "severity": "moderada",
    "effect": "May potentiate anticoagulant effect via platelet aggregation inhibition",
    "mechanism": "Inhibition of thromboxane synthase and COX-2",
    "recommendation": "Monitor INR if combining with warfarin"
  }
}

Data

All data lives in the data/ directory as plain JSON files. No database required.

• herbs.json -- 250 medicinal plants
• drug_classes.json -- 53 drug classes with individual medications
• interactions.json -- 592 documented interactions with severity, mechanism, evidence

Use cases

• Clinical decision support: integrate interaction checks into EHR/pharmacy systems
• Mobile health apps: embed herb-drug safety checks
• Research tools: query the dataset programmatically
• Chatbots: add drug interaction awareness to health chatbots

Data sources

• European Medicines Agency (EMA) herbal monographs
• ESCOP monographs
• PubMed Central systematic reviews and clinical trials
• WHO monographs on medicinal plants

Disclaimer

For educational and research purposes only. Not a substitute for professional medical advice.

License

MIT License.

About

Built by Botanica Andina -- evidence-based Latin American medicinal plant research.

See also:

• Herb-Drug Interaction Checker (web tool)
• Andean Plants Database (dataset)