Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Research in the 21st Century

It has been estimated that 250,000 terrestrial plants contribute to biodiversity on earth. The chemodiversity of plants, however, may be considered to be much larger due to the vast number of phytochemical constituents with their wide range of bioactivity as seen in medicinal and aromatic plants. The present review focuses on the potential of medicinal and aromatic plants for medicinal, nutritional and other purposes, but highlights also possible toxicities. Quality control for standardization of herbal products as well as advancements in molecular biological techniques will foster the progress of medicinal and aromatic plant research in the years to come.