Green Medicines in Drug Discovery

Year : 2026 | Volume : 13 | 01 | Page :
    By

    Sneha Sanjay Pawar,

  • Nandani panda,

  • Isha bachhave,

  • Bhupendra M. Mahale,

  1. Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, SVSs Dadasaheb Rawal College of Pharmacy, Dondaicha, Maharashtra, India
  2. Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, SVSs Dadasaheb Rawal College of Pharmacy, Dondaicha, Maharashtra, India
  3. Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, SVSs Dadasaheb Rawal College of Pharmacy, Dondaicha, Maharashtra, India
  4. Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University, Lonere, Raigad, SVSs Dadasaheb Rawal College of Pharmacy, Dondaicha, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

The process of finding new leads for medicines using natural products is challenging. It discusses bioactive composites generated from natural resources, including phytochemical analysis, characterization, and pharmacological investigation. The success of these resources in the process of discovering unique and effective pharmacological combinations that may help mortal coffers is the primary focus. Natural goods have long been employed as a source of medicinal compounds, and they have shown promising results. Only natural product medicine development makes a substantial contribution to the scientific justification of natural resources. Nature has historically given medical components, and a surprising number of current medicines may be traced back to their natural origins. Businesses have long employed traditional herbal remedies to treat a wide range of illnesses, and the variety of natural products they sell has influenced the development of new medications. There is a growing need for novel chemical variety in webbing due to the creation of contemporary protein-based molecular targets. The continuous debate over the world’s biodiversity, whose maturity has not yet been established, will make natural goods crucial to addressing this demand. There are still several obstacles to overcome, such as creating and implementing suitable high-output webbing bioassays, increasing the potency of bioactive molecules, and acquiring plant materials, although medication discovery from medicinal plants continues to be a major source of innovative therapeutic leads. The review article discusses recent interdisciplinary collaborations on studying natural resources, focusing on potential therapeutic avenues similar to health-promoting therapies, and plans to standardize global use of plant-based medicines.

Keywords: Green Medicines, Therapies, Drug Discovery, Bioassays, Traditional treatments

How to cite this article:
Sneha Sanjay Pawar, Nandani panda, Isha bachhave, Bhupendra M. Mahale. Green Medicines in Drug Discovery. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Design & Discovery. 2025; 13(01):-.
How to cite this URL:
Sneha Sanjay Pawar, Nandani panda, Isha bachhave, Bhupendra M. Mahale. Green Medicines in Drug Discovery. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Drug Design & Discovery. 2025; 13(01):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjoddd/article=2025/view=233272


References

1. Sircar NN. Medicinal plants. The Eastern Pharmacist. 1982;29(291):49-52.
2. Tariq O, Siddiqi AJ. Vitamin C content of Indian medicinal plants- a literature review. Indian Drugs. 1985;23(2):72-83.
3. Panda H. Handbook on Medicinal Herbs with Uses. New Delhi: Asia Pacific business press; 2004. p. 564.
4. Kar A. Pharmacognosy and Pharma Biotechnology. New Delhi: New age international Ltd.; 2006. pp. 5-11.
5. Rao AVR, Gurjar MK. Drugs from plant resources: An overview. Pharma times. 1990;22(5):19-20.
6. Handa SS. Plants as drugs. The Eastern Pharmacist. 1991;34(397):79-85.
7. Handa SS. Future trends of plants as drugs. Pharma times. 1991;23(4):13-23.
8. Farnsworth NR. A computerized data base for medicinal plants. The Eastern Pharmacist. 1985;28(326):53-55.
9. Littleton J. The future of plant drug discovery. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2007;2(5):673-683.
10. D. Mastropaolo, A. Camerman, Y. Luo, G. D. Brayer, and N. Camerman. Crystal and molecular structure of paclitaxel (Taxol),” published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in 1995.
11. Mukherjee P. Quality Control of Herbal Drugs – An Approach to Evaluations of Botanicals. 5th ed. 2005. p. 2.
12. Gonzalez, A., et al. (2020). Natural products in cancer treatment: Promises and challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 217, 107645.
13. Laird, S. A. (2002). Biodiversity and the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples: Scientific and ethical challenges. Science and Engineering Ethics, 8(3), 271-277.
14. Calixto, J. B. (2000). Efficacy, safety, quality control, marketing, and regulatory guidelines for herbal medicines. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 33(2), 179-189.
15. Vickers, A., et al. (2019). Herbal medicines in drug discovery: Their role in modern drug development. Natural Products and Drug Discovery, 17(4), 215-225.
16. Balandrin, M. F., et al. (2020). Sustainability of plant resources for herbal medicine: Challenges and opportunities. Phytotherapy Research, 34(4), 1013-1025.
17. Fugh-Berman, A., et al. (2019). The regulatory challenges of herbal medicine. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 57(3), 105–110.
18. Izzo, A. A., et al. (2009). Herb-drug interactions: An overview of the clinical evidence. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 67(1), 43–54.
19. Khan, M. A., et al. (2017). Stability of bioactive compounds in natural products: Challenges and opportunities. Phytomedicine, 29, 1-9.
20. Sunder Rajan, K. (2006). Biotech and the ethics of biopiracy: A critique. International Journal of Biotechnology, 8(2), 150-164.
21. P. Saranraj1, S. Sivasakthi and M. S. Deep. Phytochemistry of pharmacologically important medicinal plants – A Review; international journal of current research in chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences; Volume 3, Issue 11 – 2016.
22. Bhandari, A., et al. (2013). Use of cyclodextrins to enhance the solubility and bioavailability of natural products. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 39(3), 403-412.
23. Vickers, A., et al. (2019). Herbal medicines in drug discovery: Their role in modern drug development. Natural Products and Drug Discovery, 17(4), 215-225.
24. Borek, C. (2014). Phytomedicine and its role in the treatment of chronic diseases. Springer.
25. Tapas, A. R., D. M. Sakarkar and R. B. Kakde. 2008. Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals – A Review. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 7: 1089 – 1099.
26. Dufresne, C. J., & Farnworth, E. R. (2001). A review of the antioxidant potential of tea polyphenols. Food Research International, 34(3), 387-399.
27. Gupta, S. C., et al. (2013). Curcumin, a component of turmeric: From farm to pharmacy. Biofactors, 39(1), 2-13.
28. Maimone, G., et al. (2015). “Garlic (Allium sativum L.) and its antimicrobial properties”. Phytochemistry Reviews, 14, 47-59.
29. Yang, C.S., & Lambert, J.D. (2009). “Tea and cancer prevention: molecular mechanisms and human relevance”. Journal of Nutrition, 139(2), 443-448.
30. Schaefer, C., et al. (2012). “Herbal medicine interactions with cytochrome P450 enzymes: a critical review of the literature”. Phytotherapy Research, 26(12), 1767-1777.
31. Bensoussan, A., et al. (2004). “Piperine: A bioavailability enhancer”. Phytotherapy Research, 18(12), 1060-1064.
32. Abena Voli, L., et al. (2010). “Silymarin in liver diseases: A patient’s perspective”. Phytomedicine, 17(1), 13-19.
33. Daily, J. W., et al. (2016). “Curcumin: A review of its effects on human health”. Foods, 5(4), 81.
34. Yang, C. S., et al. (2009). “Green tea and cancer prevention”. Nutrition and Cancer, 61(4), 421-433.
35. Newman, D. J., & Cragg, G. M. (2016). Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs Over the Last 25 Years. Journal of Natural Products, 79(3), 629-661.
36. Farnsworth, N. R., & Simmonds, M. S. J. (2015). Plants and Plant Extracts as Lead Compounds. Phytochemistry Reviews, 14(3), 523-534.
37. Efferth, T., & Koch, E. (2014). Complex Interactions between Phytochemicals and the Cellular Signalling Network. The Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology, 11(4), 207-219.
38. Luo, X., et al. (2010). “Curcumin and its potential for cancer therapy: an overview.” Journal of Experimental& Clinical Cancer Research, 29, 48.
39. Middleton, E., et al. (2000). “Flavonoids as antioxidants.” Advanced Pharmacology, 47, 289-314.
40. Baggerly, L. L., et al. (2013). “Green tea catechins and cancer chemoprevention: a review.” Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 57(1), 17-28.
41. Wani, M. C., Taylor, H. L., & Wall, M. E. (1971). Plant Antitumor Agents. I. The Isolation and Structure of Taxol, A Novel Antileukemic and Antitumor Agent from Taxus brevifolia. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 93(9), 2325-2327.
42. Tu, Y. (2016). Artemisinin—A gift from traditional medicine to modern therapeutics. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 15(12), 819-834.
43. Baur, J. A., & Sinclair, D. A. (2006). Therapeutic potential of resveratrol: The in vivo evidence. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 5(6), 493-506.
44. Porter, J., &Jick, H. (1980). Addiction Rare in Patients Treated with Narcotics. New England Journal of Medicine, 302(2), 123.
45. Wiesen Hofer, W., & Kieffer, N. (2008). “Sustainability and Green Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.” Green Chemistry, 10(4), 506-513.
46. Jurenka, J. S. (2009). “Therapeutic applications of curcumin in inflammatory bowel diseases.” Alternative Medicine Review, 14(4), 277-290.
47. Andes, D. R., et al. (2010). “The Use of Plant-derived Compounds to Combat Antibiotic Resistance.” Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 23(3), 368-381.
48. Reay, J. L., et al. (2005). “Ginseng as a Cognitive Enhancer.” Neuropsychopharmacology, 30(2), 310-314.
49. Singh, V., et al. (2019). Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Plants: A Review. Phytochemistry Reviews.
50. Ahmad, A., et al. (2017). Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Medicinal Plants: A Green Approach. Industrial Crops and Products.
51. Wang, L., et al. (2019). Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds: A Review of Principles and Applications in Green Medicine. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science.
52. Naseri, M., et al. (2020). Enzyme-Assisted Extraction for Green Extraction of Bioactive Compounds. Molecules.
53. Pohl, P., et al. (2018). Green Solvent-Based Extraction Methods for the Isolation of Bioactive Compounds from Plant Sources. Molecules.
54. Berrueta, L. A., et al. (2020). Application of Solid-Phase Microextraction in the Extraction of Bioactive Compounds. TRAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry.
55. McHugh, M. A., &Krukonis, V. J. (2019). Pressurized Liquid Extraction for Green Medicine: A Review of Methodology and Applications. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
56. Shah, M. A., et al. (2020). Nanoparticles for Delivery of Phytochemicals in Cancer Therapy: A Review. Frontiers in Pharmacology.
57. Mohanty, M., et al. (2019). Liposome-Based Phytochemical Delivery Systems: Recent Trends and Applications in Green Medicine. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology.
58. Rehman, M. U., et al. (2020). Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A Green Approach for the Delivery of Bioactive Phytochemicals. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology.
59. Lu, J., et al. (2019). Polymeric Nanoparticles for Delivery of Phytochemicals: A Review of Applications in Green Medicine. Journal of Controlled Release.
60. Raza, K., et al. (2020). Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Green Medicine: A Novel Approach to Phytochemical Delivery. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology.
61. Karthivashan, G., et al. (2020). Cyclodextrin-Based Delivery Systems for Phytochemicals in Green Medicine. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology.
62. Rehman, M. U., et al. (2020). Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A Green Approach for the Delivery of Bioactive Phytochemicals. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology.
63. Shoba, G., et al. (1998). Bioavailability Enhancing Effect of Piperine on Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers. Planta Medica.
64. Dhanalakshmi, S., et al. (2021). Lipid-Based Nano-formulations for the Enhancement of Bioactive Phytochemicals. Journal of Nano-technologies.
65. Borek, C. (2014). Phytomedicine and its role in the treatment of chronic diseases. Springer.
66. Gautam, S., et al. (2013). Preclinical evaluation of plant-based drugs. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 5(3), 129-133.
67. Sharma, R. A., et al. (2017). Curcumin and its derivatives in the treatment of cancer. Phytomedicine, 23(5), 473-484.
68. Lan, K.; Jia, W. An integrated metabolomics and pharmacokinetics strategy for multi-component drugs evaluation. Curr. Drug Metab. 2010, 11, 105–114.
69. Kumar, R.; Sharma, M. Herbal nanomedicine interactions to enhance pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and therapeutic index for better bioavailability and biocompatibility of herbal formulations. J. Mater. Nanoscience. 2018, 5, 35–60.
70. Fan, T.-P.; Deal, G.; Koo, H.-L.; Rees, D.; Sun, H.; Chen, S.; Dou, J.-H.; Makarov, V.G.; Pozharitskaya, O.N.; Shikov, A.N. Future development of global regulations of Chinese herbal products. Ethnopharmacology. 2012, 140, 568–586.
71. Nicoletti, M. Nutraceuticals and botanicals: Overview and perspectives. Int. J. Food Sci. Nutraceuticals. 2012, 63, 2–6.
72. Newman, D. J., & Cragg, G. M. (2016). “Natural Products as Sources of New Drugs over the Last 25 Years. “Journal of Natural Products, 79(3), 629-661.
73. Liu, J. (2015). “Phytochemicals: Extraction, Isolation, and Identification of Bioactive Compounds.” Springer.
74. Raskin, I., et al. (2002). “Plants and Human Health in the Twenty-First Century. “Trends in Biotechnology, 20(12), 522-531.
75. Farnsworth, N. R., &Soejarto, D. D. (1991). “Global Importance of Medicinal Plants. “In: Conservation of Medicinal Plants (pp. 25-51).

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 13
01
Received 02/11/2025
Accepted 25/11/2025
Published 30/11/2025
Publication Time 28 Days
20

Login


My IP

PlumX Metrics