Exploring the global mosaic of medicinal plant databases: unveiling nature’s pharmacopoeia

IF 5.8 3区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL

Natural Products and Bioprospecting Pub Date : 2026-06-01 DOI:10.1007/s13659-026-00614-2

Yifei Jiang, Xiaozhuan Jia, Zhenzhong Yang

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Abstract

Medicinal plants have long served as an important asset in the treatment of diseases. Recent developments in computer science have enabled the rise of specialized databases cataloging medicinal plant knowledge. However, a systematic comparison of available region-specific medicinal plant databases is lacking. This review summarizes globally available medicinal plant databases that focus on specific geographical regions, aiming to inspire and guide people from specialists to the general public toward fostering innovation and making informed decisions. Through a systematic search of literature and digital resources, 81 regional medicinal plant databases established or updated between 2013 and 2025 were identified. From this pool, 40 core platforms were subjected to detailed statistical characterization regarding their data categories and volume. Our analysis reveals a geographical concentration in Asia (48.1%), dominated by China and India, alongside a notable proliferation of universal databases with a global scope. These databases facilitate critical applications in drug discovery, quality control, biodiversity conservation, and policy-making. By identifying current research gaps and emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary standardization, this review serves as a strategic roadmap for bridging traditional wisdom with modern therapeutic innovation.

Graphical abstract

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

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探索药用植物数据库的全球马赛克：揭示自然药典。

药用植物长期以来一直是治疗疾病的重要资源。计算机科学的最新发展使药用植物知识编目的专门数据库得以兴起。然而，缺乏对现有区域特定药用植物数据库的系统比较。这篇综述总结了全球现有的以特定地理区域为重点的药用植物数据库，旨在激励和指导从专家到公众的人们促进创新和做出明智的决定。通过系统检索文献和数字资源，确定了2013年至2025年间建立或更新的81个区域药用植物数据库。从中选取了40个核心平台，对其数据类别和数量进行了详细的统计表征。我们的分析显示，地理上集中在亚洲（48.1%），以中国和印度为主，同时具有全球范围的通用数据库也显著增加。这些数据库促进了药物发现、质量控制、生物多样性保护和政策制定方面的关键应用。通过确定当前的研究差距并强调跨学科标准化的必要性，本综述可作为连接传统智慧与现代治疗创新的战略路线图。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Natural Products and Bioprospecting CHEMISTRY, MEDICINAL-

CiteScore

8.30

自引率

2.10%

发文量

审稿时长

13 weeks

期刊介绍： Natural Products and Bioprospecting serves as an international forum for essential research on natural products and focuses on, but is not limited to, the following aspects: Natural products: isolation and structure elucidation Natural products: synthesis Biological evaluation of biologically active natural products Bioorganic and medicinal chemistry Biosynthesis and microbiological transformation Fermentation and plant tissue cultures Bioprospecting of natural products from natural resources All research articles published in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review. In addition to original research articles, Natural Products and Bioprospecting publishes reviews and short communications, aiming to rapidly disseminate the research results of timely interest, and comprehensive reviews of emerging topics in all the areas of natural products. It is also an open access journal, which provides free access to its articles to anyone, anywhere.