Natural Products and Phytotherapy: Advances in Phytochemistry and Ethnopharmacology

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 517

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine & Kentucky College of Optometry, University of Pikeville, CB816, 147 Sycamore Street, Pikeville, KY 41501, USA
Interests: medicinal plant research; hypertension; autonomic pharmacology; Alzheimer’s disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout history, across cultures and continents, plants have played a pivotal role in the healing of disease. From Unani medicine practices to Ayurveda and from Traditional Chinese Medicine to Indigenous and folk remedies, an innumerable number of plant species have been used successfully to not only prevent but also treat illness. Today, modern science relies on many plant-derived chemicals that continue to yield a vast array of medications, which heal people suffering from simple to complicated conditions. Currently, scientific advancements offer several tools and avenues through which to explore the pharmacological potential of these age-old remedies.

This Special Issue invites the submission of original research articles, reviews, and ethnopharmacological studies that focus on the medicinal use of plants and their phytoconstituents in the prevention and management of pathology. We are particularly interested in studies that explore the therapeutic effects of plants traditionally used in ethnic medicine, as well as research that investigates the biological activity of isolated compounds derived from these plants.

Submissions may include, but are not limited to, work on the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and cardio/neuro/nephron/gastroprotective abilities of medicinal plants. Studies utilizing in vitro, in vivo, or clinical approaches are welcome, as are investigations of potential mechanisms of action, novel extraction techniques, and the standardization of plant-based therapies.

By bridging traditional knowledge with modern pharmacological methods, we aim to highlight the relevance of medicinal plants in today’s holistic and inclusive healthcare landscape. We encourage researchers across disciplines to contribute to this issue and to the construction of a stronger, evidence-based foundation for phytotherapy.

Dr. Muhammad Nabeel Ghayur
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • traditional medicinal plants
  • bioactive compounds
  • drug discovery
  • cancer chemotherapy
  • neuroprotective effects
  • cardiovascular health
  • chronic disease modulation
  • immunomodulatory activity
  • mechanism of action
  • bioassay-guided fractionation
  • phytochemical screening
  • clinical phytotherapy trials

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

24 pages, 1602 KB  
Review
A Review and Survey of Local Eastern Kentucky Medicinal Plants and Their Pharmacological Benefits
by Pratyusha Veldhi, Chris Crager, Ayesha Ghayur, Zaheer Ul-Haq and Muhammad Nabeel Ghayur
Plants 2025, 14(20), 3182; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14203182 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 378
Abstract
Medicinal plants are used all over the world to prevent, cure, and manage many different diseases. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge on different medicinal plants that are native to Pike County, Eastern Kentucky, USA. The study involved two stages [...] Read more.
Medicinal plants are used all over the world to prevent, cure, and manage many different diseases. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge on different medicinal plants that are native to Pike County, Eastern Kentucky, USA. The study involved two stages of activity. First, it involved a survey of some county locals to identify medicinal plants used for different medical purposes. The second part dealt with searching research databases like PubMed and Google Scholar to find out if any of those plants, identified in the survey, have any published scientific studies on them. The results of the survey identified 14 locally used medicinal plants (Asimina triloba, Callicarpa americana, Chimaphila umbellate, Cichorium intybus, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Monotropa uniflora, Paulownia tomentosa, Phytolacca americana, Portulaca oleracea, Sassafras albidum, Ampelopsis glandulosa, Ulmus rubra, Verbascum thapsus, and Xanthorhiza simplicissima) belonging to different families, plant types and used for a wide variety of purposes. Most plants belonged to the Ericaceae and Asteraceae families, were mostly herb type, while the most common plant part was berries, leaves and roots. The survey also showed that the local population use these plants for a variety of purposes, such as a food additive, insect repellant, antirheumatic, antiarthritic, coffee alternative, laxative, antitussive, analgesic, or anti-infective. Sometimes these plants and plant substances are used raw, made into tea, or even made into an edible jam product. For the second part of the study, all the plants were supported by multiple published studies. The most common pharmacological activity among the plants was antimicrobial, followed by anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Eastern Kentucky is well known for its scenic Appalachian Mountains, but the area holds potential for innovative herbal medicine as well. More interest and research are needed to further explore the treasure of medicinal plant use knowledge resting in this area. Additionally, more phytopharmacological and phytochemical studies are needed to investigate the scientific potential of traditionally used medicinal herbs from this region. Full article
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