Neuroactive drugs–A perspective on drugs of synthetic and medicinal plants origin

Abstract

There is a gap between traditional knowledge, experimental proof and translational research into clinical studies for acceptance of traditional medicine. They are restricted by the quality of trials, flaws in study design and other important criteria that may affect their success as a clinically accepted drug. This article provides a summary of potential medicinal plants that can be used as natural psychotropic agents based on their fundamental scientific findings. Several reviews have been published that focus on a particular plant or particular neuronal disorder. This article focuses on providing a comprehensive review of different kinds of neuronal diseases, the shortcomings of psychotropic western medicine, the status of medicinal plants and their mechanism of action in various neuronal diseases. The article aims to emphasize establishing collaborative and concerted efforts between the ethnopharmacologists and western medicine practitioners to further provide scientific validation of traditional medicines.