Ethnopharmacology-Guided Drug Discovery from Natural Products: Therapeutic Potential and Toxicological Challenges

Abstract

The increasing burden of chronic and infectious diseases has intensified the search for novel therapeutic agents, with natural products remaining a major source of drug leads. Ethnopharmacology, the scientific study of traditional medicinal knowledge, provides a targeted approach to natural product-based drug discovery. This review outlines the ethnopharmacology-guided drug discovery pipeline, highlights major plant-derived therapeutics, discusses toxicological challenges, and examines the role of emerging technologies in advancing the field. Landmark drugs such as paclitaxel, vincristine, artemisinin, galantamine, digoxin and berberine demonstrate the clinical value of ethnopharmacological knowledge. However, safety concerns including hepatotoxicity, aristolochic acid nephropathy, herb-drug interactions and standardization issues require careful evaluation. Modern tools such as artificial intelligence, network pharmacology, metabolomics, nanotechnology and synthetic biology are accelerating natural product research. Combined with ethical frameworks such as the Nagoya Protocol and the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy, these advances support the responsible integration of traditional knowledge into modern drug development. Ethnopharmacology-guided discovery remains a promising strategy for future pharmaceutical innovation.