Nature's Medicine Cabinet Part 4

Where Do We Go From Here?

A series of MedReport articles exploring the botanical origins of the medicines we use every day, by B. Kristine Burneko, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, APHN-BC.

Fig. 1 /Herbal Apothecary Tools. From Wix [photograph] (educational use.)

This article is a continuation of the series, "Nature's Medicine Cabinet: The Surprising Plant Origins of Common Medicines" available by this author on the MedReport website.

The Future of Plant-Based Medicine

Long before the modern era, Indigenous and ancient societies all over the world have been intimately familiar with the uses of nature’s pharmacopeia – plants, elements, and even some animals – and using them to heal their community members. The current Western medical paradigm is beginning to understand this time-honored wisdom and approach the natural medicine of the earth in search of similar healing. There is ample room for the empirical medical sciences to explore – with humility - natural healing options with a respectful understanding of their long-known properties and origins. 

Adequate safety regulation of botanical medicines—ensuring purity, standardization, and quality—could unlock a powerful, affordable pharmacopeia that expands access to effective care worldwide and addresses the care gap between what is available and what is affordable. Focused advocacy for FDA pharmaceutical-grade regulation of these medicinal options is crucial now more than ever. We are now uniquely positioned to bridge the worlds of traditional wisdom and modern evidence-based practice, honoring the botanical roots of medicine while advocating for safety, equity, and informed patient education. By understanding where our most trusted pharmaceuticals come from, we deepen our respect for both science and nature—and for the long human story that connects them.

References

Airainer, M., & Seifert, R. (2024). Lithium, the gold standard drug for bipolar disorder: Analysis of current clinical studies. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, 397(12), 9723–9743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03210-8

Al, B. (2014). The Source, Synthesis, History, and Use of Atropine. Journal of Academic Emergency Medicine, 13(1), 2–3. https://doi.org/10.5152/jaem.2014.1120141

American Chemical Society. (2014, October 21). Scopolamine. American Chemical Society.

American Chemical Society: Molecule of the Week. https://www.acs.org/molecule-of-the-week/archive/s/scopolamine.html

Anonymous. (2007, September 18). Dr. John Eng’s Research Found That The Saliva Of The Gila Monster Contains A Hormone That Treats Diabetes Better Than Any Other Medicine. [Medical Information]. Diabetes In Control. https://www.diabetesincontrol.com/dr-john-engs-research-found-that-the-saliva-of-the-gila-monster-contains-a-hormone-that-treats-diabetes-better-than-any-other-medicine/

Armbuster, Y. C., Banas, B. N., Feickert, K. D., England, S. E., Moyer, E. J., Christie, E. L.,

Chughtai, S., Giuliani, T. J., Halden, R. U., Graham, J. H., McCall, K. L., & Piper, B. J. (2021). Decline and Pronounced Regional Disparities in Medical Cocaine Usage in the United States. The Journal of Pharmacy Technology : JPT : Official Publication of the Association of Pharmacy Technicians, 37(6), 278–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/87551225211035563

Arora, R., Chawla, R., Marwah, R., Arora, P., Sharma, R. K., Kaushik, V., Goel, R., Kaur, A., Silambarasan, M., Tripathi, R. P., & Bhardwaj, J. R. (2011). Potential of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Preventive Management of Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Pandemic: Thwarting Potential Disasters in the Bud. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011(1), 586506. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/586506

Awosika, A. O., Below, J., & Das, J. M. (2025). Vincristine. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537122/

Babashpour-Asl, M., Kaboudi, P. S., & Barez, S. R. (2023). Therapeutic and medicinal effects of snowdrop (Galanthus spp.) in Alzheimer’s disease: A review. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 12(1), 128. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_451_22

Bailey, C. J. (2017). Metformin: Historical overview. Diabetologia, 60(9), 1566–1576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-017-4318-z

Bandyopadhyay, S. (2019). An 8,000-year History of Use and Abuse of Opium and Opioids: How That Matters For A Successful Control Of The Epidemic ? (P4.9-055). Neurology, 92(15_supplement), P4.9-055. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.92.15_supplement.P4.9-055

Ben Amar, M. (2006). Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 105(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2006.02.001

Bradley, D. (2005). Star role for bacteria in controlling flu pandemic? Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd1917

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Artemisinin: Etymologia. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 20(7), 1217. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2007.ET2007

Cervantes, B. V. M. de. (unknown). En busca del hueso perdido: (Tratado de paraguayología) (translated from Spanish). Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/en-busca-del-hueso-perdido-tratado-de-paraguayologia--0/html/ff4b16b6-82b1-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_17.html

Chaachouay, N., & Zidane, L. (2024). Plant-Derived Natural Products: A Source for Drug Discovery and Development. Drugs and Drug Candidates, 3(1), 184–207. https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc3010011

Chang, A., Rosani, A., & Quick, J. (2025). Capsaicin. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459168/

Check, W. a. (1989, October 30). Science / Medicine: Hot Pepper as Medicine : Modern Science Makes Use of an Ancient Pain Reliever. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-30-me-93-story.html

Cheshire, M. D., & Akbar, U. A. (2024). Akira Endo: Father of Statins. Cureus, 16(8), e68198. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68198

Ebbert, J. O., Scharf, E. L., & Hurt, R. T. (2018). Medical Cannabis. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(12), 1842–1847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.09.005

Edwards, S. J., Hamilton, V., Nherera, L., & Trevor, N. (2013). Lithium or an atypical antipsychotic drug in the management of treatment resistant depression: A systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment, 17(54), 1–190. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta17540

Edwards, Steven A. (2012, December 10). Digitalis: The flower, the drug, the poison. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). https://www.aaas.org/taxonomy/term/10/digitalis-flower-drug-poison

Elendu, C. (2024). The evolution of ancient healing practices: From shamanism to Hippocratic medicine: A review. Medicine, 103(28), e39005. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000039005

Fountoulakis, K. N. (2025). The Rise of a Legend: Lithium and the Extraordinary Story of Its Discovery. Pharmaceuticals, 18(8), 1230. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18081230

Fürstenwerth, H. (2011). Letter by Fürstenwerth Regarding Article, “Aspirin: A Historical and Contemporary Therapeutic Overview.” Circulation, 124(12), e332–e332. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.038133

Gillessen, A., & Schmidt, H. H.-J. (2020). Silymarin as Supportive Treatment in Liver Diseases: A Narrative Review. Advances in Therapy, 37(4), 1279–1301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-020-01251-y

Graham, W., & Roberts, J. B. (1953). Intravenous Colchicine in the Management of Gouty Arthritis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1136/ard.12.1.16

Healy, Jacky. (2019, June 18). Visitors to Art of Healing exhibition told how Australian Indigenous bush medicine was given to every allied soldier landing at Normandy on D-Day. King’s College London. King’s College London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/australian-indigenous-bush-medicine-was-given-to-allied-soldiers-on-d-day

Keys, Thomas E. (1996). The History of Surgical Anesthesia. Wood Library Museum of Anesthesiology. https://www.woodlibrarymuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/e-books/w0012pdf.PDF

Knapp, G. (2023). Escopolamina: The Complex History of Devil’s Breath (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429046186

Lee, M. R. (1999). The Snowdrop (Galanthus Nivalis): From Odysseus to Alzheimer. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 29(4), 349–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/147827159902900417

Lesi, A. F., & Meremikwu, M. M. (2004). High first dose quinine regimen for treating severe malaria. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2004(3), CD003341. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003341.pub2

Long, H., Greller, H., Mercurio‐Zappala, M., Nelson, L. S., & Et., A. (2004). Medicinal Use of Cocaine: A Shifting Paradigm Over 25 Years. The Laryngoscope. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005537-200409000-00022

Manzoni, M., & Rollini, M. (2002). Biosynthesis and biotechnological production of statins by filamentous fungi and application of these cholesterol-lowering drugs. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 58(5), 555–564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-002-0932-9

McGill University. (n.d.). 7 Up: Originally an Antidepressant. Office for Science and Society. Retrieved January 28, 2026, from https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-history/7-was-originally-antidepressant

McVean, Ada. (2017, June 17). 7 Up: Originally an Antidepressant. McGill University Office for Science and Society. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-history/7-was-originally-antidepressant

Mishra, J., & Verma, N. (2017). A brief study on Catharanthus Roseus: A review. International Journal of Research in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2.

Mondal, S., Patra, K., Sharma, D., Mishra, D., & Ghosal, S. (2025). From Fungi to Pharmacies: The Epic Discovery and Development of Statins—With Lovastatin at its Heart. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 6, 8069–8077. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.06.1225.0113

Muranaka, T., Ohkawa, H., & Yamada, Y. (1993). Continuous production of scopolamine by a culture of Duboisia leichhardtii hairy root clone in a bioreactor system. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00170370

Nagaraju, M., & Kumar, M. (2020). Hot Pepper-History-Health and Dietary Benefits & Production. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 9 number 4(2020, 2532–2538. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2020.904.303

Özyol, P. (n.d.). Pharmacological Pinhole in Presbyopia Treatment: A Brief History from Pilocarpine to Aceclidine. Turkish Journal of Ophthalmology, 55(6), 350–351. https://doi.org/10.4274/tjo.galenos.2025.36524

Ruddock, E. H. (1867). The homœopathic vade mecum of modern medicine and surgery (2nd ed.). Jarrold and Sons. https://books.google.com/books?id=sxADAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q&f=false

Sagandira, C. R., Mathe, F. M., Guyo, U., & Watts, P. (2020). The evolution of Tamiflu synthesis, 20 years on: Advent of enabling technologies the last piece of the puzzle? Tetrahedron, 76(37), 131440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2020.131440

Schönholzer, F., & Communications, U. Z. H. (2018, March 15). Dried Stars [Social and Cultural Anthropology]. University of Zürich. Universität Zürich - UZH News. https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/2018/star-anise.html

Singh, D. R. (2023, January 27). Sadabahar (Periwinkle): Uses, Benefits, Side effects and More | PharmEasy. PharmEasy Blog. https://pharmeasy.in/blog/ayurveda-uses-benefits-side-effects-of-sadabahar/

Stolberg, V. B. (2011). The Use of Coca: Prehistory, History, and Ethnography. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332640.2011.573310

United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs. (2019, May 7). Diabetes drug from Gila monster venom. United States Veterans’ Affairs Office of Research & Development. https://www.research.va.gov/research_in_action/Diabetes-drug-from-Gila-monster-venom.cfm

United States Food and Drug Administration. (2024, August 29). Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements. United States Department of Health and Human Services.

US Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements

United States Food and Drug Administration, O. of I. (2024a, October 1). Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. FDA. US FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements

United States Food and Drug Administration, O. of I. (2024b, October 1). Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts. FDA. US FDA. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts

Veeresham, C. (2012). Natural products derived from plants as a source of drugs. Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research, 3(4), 200. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-4040.104709

Wall, W. J. (2015). The Search for Human Chromosomes: A History of Discovery. Springer.

Walters, Kevin. (2022, October 12). The Invention of Warfarin: A National Historic Chemical Landmark. American Chemical Society. https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/warfarin.html

Wettengel, R. (1998). [Theophylline—Past present and future]. Arzneimittel-Forschung, 48(5A), 535–539.

World Health Organization. (2015). Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria. Third Edition. World Health Organization.

World Health Organization. (2019). World Health Organization: Model List of Essential Medicines, 21st List. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/991ec35e-7462-4202-81ce-b7c9869afb2a/content

World Health Organization. (2025, December 4). Fact sheet about malaria. World Health Organization. World Health Organization - Fact Sheets. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria

Zuardi, A. W. (2006). History of cannabis as a medicine: A review. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 28, 153–157. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-44462006000200015

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board