Traditional herbal medicines have been used across cultures for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Their integration into modern evidence-based medicine is advancing through growing research focused on mechanistic understanding, standardization, and clinical evaluation. Advances in phytochemical analysis, pharmacokinetic profiling, and molecular pharmacology now offer powerful tools to evaluate and optimize herbal medicines for contemporary clinical applications.
This Topic focuses on the pharmacokinetics of traditional herbal medicines in a clinical context—an area critical to understanding absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties, bioavailability, and potential herb–drug interactions. Clarifying these factors is essential to establish reproducible exposure–response relationships and to support rational, safe, and effective use of herbal interventions.
By integrating phytochemical characterization, pharmacokinetic modeling, and clinical evaluation, this collection aims to strengthen the scientific foundation for assessing the efficacy and safety of herbal therapies. It will also explore approaches for quality control, regulatory harmonization, and the application of pharmacokinetic data in clinical settings. Through this multidisciplinary framework, the Research Topic connects traditional medicinal knowledge with modern pharmacological science to advance standardized and evidence-based herbal treatments in global healthcare. We welcome submissions exploring the interface between traditional herbal medicine and modern pharmacology, particularly in the following areas:
- Phytochemical profiling and bioactive compound identification, - Metabolomics and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies of herbal extracts, - Clinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic investigations, - Mechanistic studies at molecular or systems levels, - Translational and methodological advances connecting preclinical and clinical findings.
Submissions may include original research, reviews, short communications, and perspectives. Studies must follow the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and ConPhyMP guidelines (Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205; https://ga-online.org/best-practice ), and include detailed information on plant material identification, extraction, and processing methods. Submissions based solely on in silico predictions will not be considered; all studies must include in vitro, in vivo, or clinical assessments.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Clinical Trial
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
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.
