Environmental stressors, including climate change, pollution, and urbanization, significantly impact the phytochemical composition, medicinal efficacy, and economic viability of plant-derived therapeutics. Rising global temperatures, drought stress, and CO₂ fluctuations influence secondary metabolite synthesis, leading to variability in bioactive compound concentrations. Pollution-driven contamination, including heavy metal bioaccumulation and pesticide residues, poses serious safety concerns for herbal medicines, while habitat destruction and genetic erosion due to urbanization threaten medicinal plant biodiversity. However, emerging technologies like CRISPR, AI-driven phytochemical profiling, and precision agriculture provide promising solutions to mitigate these challenges. Sustainable agricultural practices, stringent pollution control measures, and regulatory frameworks integrating real-time environmental monitoring are crucial to preserving medicinal plant resources. The integration of green extraction technologies, blockchain-based traceability systems, and interdisciplinary collaborations can enhance phytochemical stability, optimize production, and ensure the quality of plant-based therapeutics. A proactive, technology-driven approach is essential to securing the future of herbal medicine and maintaining ecological integrity while addressing global healthcare needs. Keywords: Bioactive compounds, Blockchain traceability, Climate change, CRISPR, Heavy metal contamination, Herbal medicine standardization, Medicinal plants, Phytochemical composition.
Khan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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