The footprint of ethnopharmacology in drug discovery (ISE-APSS2024).
The footprint of ethnopharmacology in drug discovery (ISE-APSS2024).
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Original abstract
This special issue commemorates the joint hosting of the 23rd International Congress of the International Society of Ethnopharmacology and the 2nd International Congress of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society. The conference aimed to advance ethnopharmacology and phytomedicine through 13 multidisciplinary contributions. This collection of manuscripts explores phytochemistry, pharmacological evaluation, translational medicine, and clinical applications of medicinal plants and traditional knowledge systems. Studies investigated the anticancer potential of Açaí extracts, chemotaxonomic and therapeutic insights into Stachys species, and neuroprotective activities of Catha edulis, Datura stramonium, Mesembryanthemum tortuosum, and Polygala virgata in Parkinson's disease models. The anti-ageing effects of fermented Persicaria senegalensis, analgesic and antipyretic properties of Haplanthodes tentaculata, anticancer activity of Aframomum alboviolaceum, and aphrodisiac efficacy of Citropsis articulata are also explored. Broader perspectives included reviews and bibliometric analyses of ethnoveterinary medicine in Africa, as well as historical and regulatory evaluations of natural products in the Greek Pharmacopoeia. Collectively, these studies emphasize the importance of integrating traditional knowledge and current scientific methodologies, while promoting ethical collaboration, innovation, sustainability, and evidence-based development of phytomedicines. The issue further reinforces international partnerships aimed at strengthening African research capacity and advancing global health outcomes through ethnopharmacological research.