About this Research Topic

Background

Medicinal Plants (MPs) have been used to prevent and treat many diseases for thousands of years. MPs are rich in diverse bioactive compounds, such as alkaloids, terpenoids, lignans, flavonoids, essential oils,and polyphenols. MPs are rich in diverse bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, essential oils, alkaloids, terpenoids, and lignan. However, due to MPs' complex composition and elusive molecular mechanisms, it is still challenging to be accepted by Western Medicine. Network Pharmacology is a bioinformatic-based strategy initially used for new drug discovery and has been increasingly applied to ethnopharmacology in recent years.

Network analysis can be used to set up a network of MPs/Formula−Compounds−Targets−Functions/Diseases. This network can be used to explore potential effective/toxic compounds in MPs/MP preparations, predict the potential molecular targets and molecular mechanisms of MPs/MP compounds/MP prescriptions, and design MP prescriptives with certain health benefits. Finally, an experiment-based pharmacological assessment is essential following such network analysis-based predictions.

Therefore, this Research Topic aims to bring together the most recent research progress associated with applying network analysis in ethnopharmacology. We encourage the submissions of original research articles, perspectives, opinion articles, and reviews that focus on, but are not limited to, the following potential topics:
• Prediction of potential molecular targets and new pharmacological effects of MPs and MP phytochemical compounds
• Prediction of the toxicity and toxic compounds of MPs/MP prescriptives
• Clarification of potentially active metabolites and molecular mechanisms of MPs/specific MP compound/MP preparations
• Precise design of MP prescriptives/functional food formula with certain health benefits

In general, network analysis must be conducted in combination with experimental pharmacology (in vitro or in vivo) or are based on a sound body of experimental pharmacology.
Network studies must critically assess the pharmacological evidence to evaluate the potential effects of a preparation / herbal (medical) product and the limitations of the evidence.
The identification of the compounds must be sound. This information may be derived from the existing literature, databases, or from an isolation step. It is essential that the quantities of the compounds in the preparation or plant are stated.
The figures must be readable and meaningful in scientific terms. It does not help to provide higher quality versions but you must reconsider how you present the data.
Docking studies are not accepted unless followed by benchwork assessing affinity. A proposed mechanism of action is required. The compound you identified – quercetin - is a small molecule and these tend to show non specific ‘docking’ effects. Further evidence is needed to ascertain the scientific plausibility of this claim. It is highly implausible that, for example, quercetin, has any specific effects as you claim. It is simply an artefact.

The preparation of the study material must be included and you need to provide the details of the material as such, its processing, extraction, subsequent drying (if applicable) and then the preparation of the experimental solution administered. You need to provide the drug extract ratio and similar basic quality parameters and, of course, the amount of extract administered. With regards to the extraction protocol it is unclear whether this refers to the analytical or the pharmacological studies. The complete species and drug name must be included.
Here an example of how it should be presented: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge [Lamiaceae; Salviae miltiorrhizae radix et rhizoma]
All (!!) species must be validated taxonomically (e.g. http://mpns.kew.org/mpns-portal or http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org or as a last resource www.theplantlist.org) and the full species name including authorities and family needs to be included as well as the drug name, if one has been assigned in a pharmacopeia (see Rivera,D., et al., What is in a name? The need for accurate scientific nomenclature for plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2013), 152: 393–402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2013.12.022i).

For manuscripts dealing with extracts obtained from a medicinal plant or a poly botanical drugs fomulation, characterization of active chemical substances in natural compounds should be included (using analytical methods such as HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, etc.).
All the manuscripts submitted to the collection will need to fully comply with the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version here).

Keywords: medicinal plants, diseases, bioinformatics, prediction, pharmacological effects, toxicity, bioactive compounds, molecular targets, mechanism of action, prescriptives, network analysis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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