From soil to shelf: challenges and opportunities in medicinal plant research

Medicinal plants playing a vital role in traditional healthcare, have emerged as a cornerstone in the development of modern pharmaceuticals. Increasing global demand for natural therapies, along with advances in science and technology, is transforming the medicinal plant sector. This review highlights emerging trends like DNA barcoding for identifying and conserving medicinal plants, as well as the use of genomics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence in medicinal plants. Despite this progress, the sector faces challenges, including biodiversity depletion, adulteration, lack of standardization, weak regulatory frameworks, biopiracy, and climate-related threats. Addressing these issues needs global collaboration to ensure sustainable cultivation, ethical resource use, and effective quality control. The integration of cutting-edge tools with traditional knowledge offers a promising path toward developing safe, effective, and eco-friendly plant-based healthcare solutions.