Current Issues of Using Medicinal Plant in Pharmacology

Abstract

Medicinal plants remain a vital source of pharmacologically active compounds and continue to contributes significantly to drug discovery and healthcare worldwide. However, their effective integration into modern pharmacology faces several challenges, including variability in Phytochemicals composition, lack of standardisation, poor quality control, and limited clinical evidence supporting efficacy and safety. Unsustainable harvesting, habitat loss, and climate change further threaten the availability of valuable medicinal species. Additionally, issues related to contamination, adulteration, and herb-drug interactions raise concerns regarding patient safety. Addressing these challenges requires advanced analytical techniques, rigorous pharmacological and clinical investigations, sustainable cultivation practices, and stronger regulatory framework. Strengthening research and conservational efforts will be essential to unlocking the full therapeutics potential of medicinal plants while ensuring their safety, and long-term availability. To identify the major challenges associated with the use of medicinal plants in pharmacology and explore possible strategies to improve their safety, quality, and therapeutic effectiveness. This study is based on a review of published literature, research articles, and reports related to medicinal plants, pharmacological studies, quality control, conservation, and regulatory aspects. This study revealed several key issues, including lack of standardization, variability in phytochemicals composition, adulteration, insufficient clinical evidences, overexploitation of medicinal plant resources, and environmental threats such as climate change. The findings also suggest that scientific validation, quality assurance, sustainable cultivation, and stronger regulatory frameworks can effectively address these challenges. Medicinal plans have significant potential in modern healthcare however, their safe and effective use requires improved research, standardization, conservation efforts, and regulatory oversight. Implementing these measures can enhance the reliability, safety, and long-term availability of medicinal plant-based therapies.