Underexplored Medicinal Plants - Uncovering the Mechanism behind Lesser Studied Traditional Medical Knowledge

TThe plant kingdom represents one of the largest reservoirs of chemically diverse natural products, yet a substantial proportion of species used in traditional and Indigenous medical systems remain pharmacologically unresolved. In many cases, biological activity has been reported, but the molecular or physiological mechanisms underlying traditional use have not been experimentally established. This gap limits both scientific interpretation of traditional medical knowledge and its responsible translation into reproducible pharmacology.
This Research Topic focuses explicitly on underexplored medicinal plants rare, endemic, geographically restricted, poorly documented, or pharmacologically undercharacterised taxa, whose traditional or locally embedded uses are biologically plausible but mechanistically unclear. This collection prioritizes taxa for which pharmacological data are fragmentary, methodologically limited, or absent at the mechanistic level.
A central objective is to strengthen the dialogue between Indigenous and local knowledge systems and experimental bioscience. Traditional use patterns often encode empirically refined observations of efficacy, preparation, and safety. However, without mechanistic assessment, such knowledge remains difficult to contextualize within contemporary pharmacology. This Topic therefore seeks contributions that respectfully and rigorously connect ethnobotanical evidence with defined biochemical, cellular, or physiological mechanisms.
The emphasis is not on cataloguing biodiversity or reporting preliminary screening data, but on clarifying how traditionally used organisms exert measurable biological effects. By integrating ethnobotanical context, chemical characterization, and experimentally testable pharmacology, the collection aims to move research beyond descriptive bioactivity toward mechanism-informed understanding.
We particularly encourage submissions on:
Rare, endemic, geographically restricted, or newly documented taxa with limited prior pharmacological study
Species embedded in Indigenous or localized medical systems where use patterns are consistent and biologically interpretable
Plants with reported activity but lacking mechanistic assessment
Comparative studies of closely related or culturally grouped taxa to elucidate structure–activity or use–activity relationships
The collection welcomes studies that:
Experimentally link traditional use to a defined biological mechanism
Distinguish specific pharmacological effects from general cytotoxic or physicochemical activity
Use physiologically relevant in vitro or in vivo models to test plausibility of traditional use
Critically assess the coherence between preparation methods, dosage, and observed pharmacological effects
All submissions must adhere to the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and the ConPhyMP statement (Frontiers in Pharmacology 13:953205). Manuscripts must provide detailed documentation of biological material (including voucher information), extraction and processing methods, and chemical characterization. Submissions lacking these elements will be desk-rejected. Authors are strongly encouraged to self-assess their manuscripts using the ConPhyMP tool prior to submission.
Ultimately, this Research Topic aims to promote a shift in ethnopharmacological research from descriptive reporting toward reproducible, mechanism-informed pharmacology. By prioritizing understudied taxa, rigorous characterization of biological materials, chemically defined preparations, and experimentally testable effects, the collection seeks to clarify which traditionally used but underexplored species demonstrate credible pharmacological relevance. In doing so, it aims to enhance the scientific robustness, interpretability, and translational value of research on lesser studied medicinal plants.