About this Research Topic
Modern society depends on research and the advancement of science in order to achieve health and prosperity for all. However, to build on already successful science, we encompass the need to discuss the current challenges and issues faced. Diverse conceptual and methodological challenges are associated with medicinal plant research, particularly ethnopharmacological studies. Core challenges in this interdisciplinary field are the need to understand herbal medicines in a traditional context and to ensure their reproducible efficacy, quality, and safety.
Frontiers recognizes the importance of facilitating debate and discussion amongst the community, and so has organized a series of Research Topics, offering a platform for such discussion to occur.
This Research Topic wishes to foster debate and discussion in the community with pros and cons on the following topics:
• What is needed to ascertain reproducibility in ethnopharmacological research, especially as it relates to the pharmacological action of complex mixtures?
• What are the aims and achievements of incorporating the network pharmacology and systems biology approach into ethnopharmacological research?
• What evidence-based conclusions can be drawn regarding benefits and disadvantages of purified mono-drugs compared to multi-component herbal medicines?
• Is it feasible to predict the synergistic or antagonistic effect of two or more ingredients of a combination based on accumulated knowledge from traditional use combined with bioinformatics?
• How do we estimate the difference between product-specific and non-specific pharmacological action of herbal preparations?
• What is the impact of the emerging field of the gut microbiome on ethnopharmacological research?
Alongside opinion or perspective pieces, this Research Topic welcomes original research and review articles on the above themes.
All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here).). We also expect that the MS follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.. Please note that purely in silico studies (e.g. docking studies and network analyses) will not be considered.
Frontiers recognizes the importance of facilitating debate and discussion amongst the community, and so has organized a series of Research Topics, offering a platform for such discussion to occur.
This Research Topic wishes to foster debate and discussion in the community with pros and cons on the following topics:
• What is needed to ascertain reproducibility in ethnopharmacological research, especially as it relates to the pharmacological action of complex mixtures?
• What are the aims and achievements of incorporating the network pharmacology and systems biology approach into ethnopharmacological research?
• What evidence-based conclusions can be drawn regarding benefits and disadvantages of purified mono-drugs compared to multi-component herbal medicines?
• Is it feasible to predict the synergistic or antagonistic effect of two or more ingredients of a combination based on accumulated knowledge from traditional use combined with bioinformatics?
• How do we estimate the difference between product-specific and non-specific pharmacological action of herbal preparations?
• What is the impact of the emerging field of the gut microbiome on ethnopharmacological research?
Alongside opinion or perspective pieces, this Research Topic welcomes original research and review articles on the above themes.
All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here).). We also expect that the MS follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.. Please note that purely in silico studies (e.g. docking studies and network analyses) will not be considered.
Keywords: ethnic groups, indigenous, therapeutic use of herbs, traditional medical systems, traditional medicine, ethnopharmacological research, herbal pharmacology
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
