Abstract
To describe scientific methods for dose estimation and conversion for herbal, experimental and traditional drugs from animal to human and vice versa. Various databases were searched like FDA for guidelines and PubMed, SciFinder, and Google for different articles discussing potential problems of dose conversion. Development and screening of drugs required appropriate dose and dosage form translation from animal species to human or human to animal. All the investigators have realized that the most common problem is the extrapolation of animal to human equivalent dose based on body weight especially for clinical uses and to determine efficacy toxicity and mechanism of action. Many studies proved the reliability of dose translation and conversion by normalization method using the body surface area. It is thus imperative to use normalization method based on body surface area for dose translation. Generally, body normalization method correlates various parameters efficiently such as energy expenditure, oxygen consumption, basal metabolic rate, and level of plasma proteins and volume of blood. Similarly a factor of safety must be consider especially when calculating dose for toxicity screening in animals. Hence, importance of dose translation by body surface area and initial dose calculation for clinical trials has been explained and proved with suitable examples.
