October 23, 2025Open Access

Understanding the role of botanicals in medicine

Key Points

Integration of botanical medicine appears essential for improving primary care in developing nations, where 80% rely on it.
About one-third of FDA-approved drugs derive from historical uses of botanicals, underscoring their pharmacological significance.
Efforts to regulate botanicals in healthcare are needed, particularly in regions reliant on traditional medicine practices.
Understanding the perceptions surrounding botanical medicines is crucial for safe and effective healthcare integration.

Abstract

Understanding the role of botanicals in medicine Dr Erin C. Berthold from Planted in Science Consulting LLC discusses the uses and perceptions of botanical medicines, emphasizing the necessity for coordinated global efforts to understand and regulate these substances to ensure their safe integration into healthcare. Botanicals have long been used in traditional medicine practices. In developing nations, particularly in Africa, up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine as their primary source of care. (1) This historical use of botanicals as medicines also profoundly shaped modern pharmacology, with botanical compounds serving as frameworks or direct sources for roughly one-third of all drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2)

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