Plant-derived natural products (NPs) have been fundamental to traditional medicines, providing essential therapeutic compounds. Indigenous knowledge has taken precedence in this era, and ethnobotany has developed into a science of survival. A number of new plant molecules, including those used by hundreds of cultures, have been described, and medicinal plants are still being sold for their therapeutic benefits without the necessary identification and validation. The review investigates the evolution and current level of traditional plant knowledge among ethnic groups, as well as the incorporation of modern trends into ethnobotanical studies. Molecular analysis (Scientific knowledge) for identifying Ethnotaxa, and the application of DNA barcoding, for authentication of plant species identified using traditional knowledge. Linking scientific and traditional categorization systems, which are often unwritten and only passed down orally, is crucial.
Plant-derived natural products (NPs) have been fundamental to traditional medicines, providing essential therapeutic compounds. Indigenous knowledge has taken precedence in this era, and ethnobotany has developed into a science of survival. A number of new plant molecules, including those used by hundreds of cultures, have been described, and medicinal plants are still being sold for their therapeutic benefits without the necessary identification and validation. The review investigates the evolution and current level of traditional plant knowledge among ethnic groups, as well as the incorporation of modern trends into ethnobotanical studies. Molecular analysis (Scientific knowledge) for identifying Ethnotaxa, and the application of DNA barcoding, for authentication of plant species identified using traditional knowledge. Linking scientific and traditional categorization systems, which are often unwritten and only passed down orally, is crucial.