Role of Analytical Methods in Herbal Drug Discovery

Abstract

Nature contains a huge array of unique phytomolecules, many of which have previously evolved into lead compounds and have been transformed into herbal formulations or are currently undergoing clinical studies. Plant-based pharmaceuticals account for 25% of all drugs on the market, either directly or indirectly. The herbal drug sector has gotten a lot of attention in recent years, which has resulted in its exponential rise. People increasingly prefer herbal treatments to synthetic drugs, highlighting their safety and efficacy. Standardization of these herbal medications has become a significant component of the process involved in herbal drug development, not just for Asians but also for westerners, due to increased interest. The role of various analytical methods, such as chromatographic methods, spectroscopic methods, metabolomics, DNA barcoding, and so on, has been explored in this chapter. These methods aid in not only authentication but also quality assurance during the herbal medicine research process.

Keywords: Analytical methods, Drug discovery, Herbal drugs, Phyto molecules, Standardization.

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