Phytopharmaceutical Biotechnology: Integration of Botany, Pharmacology and Plant Biotechnology to Deliver the Best Therapeutic Potential of Herbs

It is common knowledge that plants are a source of valuable preventive, curative and therapeutic substances. This knowledge has been handed down by generations of herbalists, ethnomedicine practitioners, healers and indigenous health ecosystems verbally or with practical demonstrations or occasionally documented. Traditional medicine, using plants, plant parts or by-products derived through some form of processing of plants, has evolved across civilisations and cultures to become an integral part of the human lifestyle. In recent years, the urgent need for standardising herbal medicine through scientific research and the development of modern phytopharmaceuticals have been recognised. Regulatory frameworks have been defined, and compliance is not only necessary but also mandatory. “Phytopharmaceutical drug” includes purified and standard fractions with a defined minimum of four qualitatively and quantitatively assessed bioactive or phytochemical compounds for internal or external use of human beings or animals for diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of any disease or disorder but excludes parenteral. While traditional approximations and ratios were historically used for plant-based medicines, modern science and regulatory practices aim to provide a more rigorous and evidence-based approach to ensure the consistency, reproducibility, safety and efficacy of these remedies. This chapter, through specific case studies, attempts to highlight the role of plant sciences and plant biotechnology in the accurate identification of plant species, recognising the potential therapeutic benefit, isolation of bioactives, validation of processes and intermediates, best practices to standardise the safety, drug delivery mechanisms, dosage forms and efficacy assessment.