[MonikaT]

can assure you 5 htp is a herb,

5-Hydroxytryptophan, more commonly known as 5-HTP, is derived from the amino acid l-tryptophan. In the body 5-HTP is converted into the brain chemical messenger serotonin. The 5-HTP used in Healthspan’s 5-HTP 100mg is sourced exclusively from the seeds of the West African Griffonia simplicifolia tree, the only natural source available.[/align]

I stand corrected. I've never investigated 5-htp because I've always read how it doesn't pass into the brain readily. I suppose by the same standard, we can call all amino acids on the market herbals because I think Ajinomoto (and all the other producers) use mushrooms to produce them. Although aspirin is made in the laboratory these days, originally it was extracted from the bark of the white willow so I guess that made aspirin an herbal, too, back in the day.