https://www.eejournals.

org Open Access

EURASIAN EXPERIMENT JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (EEJPH)

ISSN: 2992-4081 ©EEJPH Publications

Volume 7 Issue 2 2025 Page | 145

The Medicinal Plant Market: Opportunities for

Sustainable Development in Disease Areas
Serunjogi Ruth

Department of Clinical Pharmacy Kampala International University Uganda

Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
The medicinal plant market has become an integral part of global healthcare, addressing both modern and
traditional health challenges. With approximately 10,000 medicinal plant species in Indonesia alone, only
a fraction is utilized in healthcare systems, highlighting significant untapped potential. This study
examines the historical use of medicinal plants, current market trends, and the opportunities they offer for
sustainable development. By integrating traditional knowledge with modern management strategies, the
medicinal plant market has demonstrated its capacity to contribute to biodiversity conservation, economic
development, and healthcare improvement. Case studies across diverse regions showcase successful
implementations of sustainable practices. However, challenges such as habitat loss, biopiracy, and market
access barriers remain. Future efforts must focus on addressing these challenges while leveraging the
market's potential for sustainable economic and ecological outcomes.
Keywords: medicinal plants, phytotherapy, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation,
traditional medicine.
INTRODUCTION
The importance of the medicinal plant market can be perceived worldwide. There are about 10,000
medicinal plants in Indonesia, and from this, only 50 species are used as plant-based medicines in health
care centers. Adopting alternative therapies is not just for some patients; everyone should be able to adopt
alternative medicine to obtain rural health care facilities. Alternative medicine increasingly becomes a
trend in public health due to stress from the management of sophisticated diseases with mainstream
medical treatment. One of the most interesting alternative medicines is herbal treatment. Medicinal
plants or herbs have been utilized for disease treatments and traditional beliefs. There are many
differences between medicinal plants and herbs. Medicinal plants refer to both wild-crafted and cultivated
plants from the natural environment, while herbs usually refer to plants utilized as food, flavoring,
aromatic substances, and medicines. Herbal remedies are not just used in modern health systems and
techniques, but also in most developing nations as alternative medicine for primary health care [1, 2].
The uses of herbs and medicinal plants, or phytotherapy, for disease treatments have been extensively
reported and estimated as global consumption. Many cases have resulted, such as in the treatment of
cancer, arthritis, and many other types of inflammatory diseases. Medicinal plants are also effective in
primary health care, including for body relaxation, stimulation, aiding digestive function, boosting blood
sugar metabolism, menstrual support, viral invasion inhibition, reducing pain and bleeding, regulating
blood sugar levels, promoting sweating, lowering cholesterol, raising the immune system, stopping
dysentery, stabilizing moods, providing nutrition, breaking the appetite, and so on. Currently,
phytotherapy is in vogue, as many drugs are produced from crude medicinal plants through extensive
research and development. One important aspect of why medicinal plants should be sustained by the

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://www.eejournals.org Open Access
world is that they possess market value. The medicines extracted from them are efficient in the treatment
and relief of various diseases, such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, diabetes, arthritis, as well as parasitic diseases,
among others [3 4].
Historical Use of Medicinal Plants
The use of medicinal plants dates back thousands of years. In the earliest known civilizations, herbs were
used as the sole remedies for illnesses and injuries. This tradition of herbal medicine practice spanned the
globe and grew from those primitive beginnings into whole belief systems, promoting a healthful life and Page | 146
the ultimate healing effects of natural cures. Philosophies like Ayurveda, the holistic approach to wellness
of both mind and body, are over 5,000 years old in India, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, the yin-yang
energy-balancing system of health, began 2,500 years ago. The Greeks followed suit with their humoral
system—tools used to evaluate individual differences other than character or disease proclivity—still in
use today. There is also evidence of medicinal plant use among the Neanderthals [5, 6]. The use of herbal
remedies was driven by their geographical availability, and the close relationship between human culture
and local biodiversity favored the wide abundance of medicinal plants. The art of healing has been handed
down through the generations, with skill and knowledge based on experience and innovation by previous
generations of healers. This body of knowledge is referred to as Indigenous Knowledge or Traditional
Ecological Knowledge and has been shaped by geography, climate, culture, and needs. While the use of
these plants varied greatly depending on the geographical location of each civilization, they all share the
same basic natural qualities that define these species as medicine. Over centuries of migration,
exploration, and colonization, the accumulated knowledge from different parts of the world has
contributed to treating the global community's medical conditions [7, 8].
Traditional Medicine Practices
Traditional medicine encompasses a wide range of traditional or local medicine practices that use plants
found in various countries and continents. Well-known traditional medicine systems work mainly with
reports of successful traditional practice and have principles and methodologies that differ from each
other. For example, Ayurveda focuses first on diet, including a large proportion of spices, and engages the
patient with spiritual practices. Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks balance in the forces of yin and yang
and in the chakras, and works with several herbs or fungi in a single traditional prescription. Homeopathy
uses plant drugs for remedy preparation. Herbs are also largely used in this system, which includes
Western Herbal Medicine alongside several healing approaches that base the treatment on various
substances, exercises, or manipulations [9, 10]. The principle of the main traditional medicine systems is
that the body is self-healing and that by matching the correct phytotherapeutic intervention, the body can
be restored or at least relieved of its symptoms. Practitioners of traditional medicine consult their
knowledge of the medicinal properties of their local pharmacopoeia to treat their patients, taking into
account the life background of the individual and adapting the treatment according to a variety of
remedies rather than simply addressing the symptoms. These practitioners not only provide a diagnosis
or prescription but also search for tools in the surrounding environment with a deep awareness of their
patients, guiding them towards health and providing an appropriate remedy [11, 12].
Current Market Trends in Medicinal Plants
The demand for medicinal plants and their uses has been growing continuously over the past decades.
Today, they are being used as ingredients in over-the-counter products, or alternatively as raw material
for the extraction of specific phytoactive compounds or as dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, and
functional foods without being used for pharmaceutical development. The tendency towards more
effective herbs as substitutes for modern synthetic drugs, along with their side effects and high prices, has
increased among the growing complexities of the pharmaceutical and food industries. Consequently, a
considerable increase in the number of developing and developed countries demanding medicinal plants
and related products has been observed in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics sectors, strengthening
the overall basis of the current trade of medicinal plants [13, 14]. These local uses and small national
markets can be listed as the most important reason for the current market trend in medicinal plants. The
changing attitudes resulting from an awareness of health care in Western communities, as well as the
technological developments in modern pharmacology and pharmacy, have made a significant contribution
to the growth of the importance of medicinal plants in the markets in developed as well as in developing
countries. Local or family use is expressed in the sales and marketing of local outlets by local people.
There are also many families who make their living from the great global market of medicinal plants.
Large trading companies are also seriously investing in this sector. In this world market, ethnobotanical

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://www.eejournals.org Open Access
herbal products are now being transformed into regional and global products, indicating that the plant
ingredient market, which is based on traditional knowledge, is expanding to the entire world. In this
industry, multinational companies have started to appear along with small and medium-sized companies,
shops, and cooperatives. With these companies, the amount of resources they collect and the traditional
natural medicine they provide continues to grow day by day [15, 16].
Opportunities for Sustainable Development
This section shows various opportunities on how to use the medicinal plant market as a tool for Page | 147
sustainable development. A variety of these options exist to promote interconnected principles of
sustainability. For example, any activity that ensures that the plants from which organic medicinal
products are made can be replenished ensures the integrity of the business. If this replenishment can take
place through the conservation of existing seed sources and habitat sites where the plants grow, such
activities also have additional conservation benefits, including contributing to the long-term protection of
biodiversity and the conservation of biotic resources. There are opportunities to develop enhanced
economic value for local communities based on the sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants rather than
the unsustainable harvesting of commercial game or the conversion of natural land to agriculture. In
some cases, the cultivation, rather than the harvesting from the wild, of medicinal plants to supply the
natural products industry that meet quality standards required for herbal products is now considered a
best practice [17, 18]. The values driving much of the work in sustainable medicinal plant use are a
hybrid set of ethical values and the promotion of conservation. A large number of private corporate social
responsibility programs serve the first set of principles. The company offers an empowerment, education,
and capacity-building program for the locals who get involved in the base of their valued chain
production. This develops a strong relationship with the local community and ensures them a good eye
on what goes on to the very origin of their products and ensures superior quality results. Targeted
projects are designed to provide local communities an opportunity to develop sustainable livelihoods and
economies through the direct use or sustainable management of natural resources available to them. In
some cases, projects aim to have beneficial health outcomes. Due to the market for certified organic
products expanding rapidly, there are now incentives for commercial enterprises to assist local people in
developing organic systems of production in various countries. These incentives can lead to greater
conservation of the environment if programs also assist with habitat conservation and other measures,
conducively transferring protected area management to local people. Market demand for certified organic
products grown or gathered from within protected areas is also expected to grow in the future. In
addition to organic labeling, other recognized labels include fair trade and eco-label. Regulatory policy
and investment by developed countries in this area have the potential to contribute to pro-poor strategies
to empower people living in or near protected areas to engage in more conservation-friendly activities
regarding wildlife management, crop production, and micro and small enterprise development [19, 20].
Case Studies of Successful Implementation
1. Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative for Medicinal Plants in Bhutan
2. Managing Stewardship of Medicinal Plants in the Amadirainy Forest in Madagascar
3. Sanjiangyuan International Cooperation Research for the Medicinal Plant Industry in Qinghai
Province, People's Republic of China
4. Sahyadri Vaidya—a Marketing Collective for the Medicinal Plants Sector in Maharashtra
5. The Sustainable Tarangire Medicinal Plants Programme in Tanzania
6. A Regional Community-Based Partnership for the Sustainable Commercialization of Local Products
from Multiple Animal and Plant Species
7. NTFP-EP Asia Partnership Case Study: The Zangskar Medicinal Plants Collection
8. The Bijao Project in the Tropical Forests of Chocó, Colombia
9. Parque Sajama, Republic of Bolivia, CASETA and Ethno-Medicine Rovegno
10. Indigenous Elements of Self-Determined, Community-Based Standard Setting for Sustainable
Resource Management—a Case Study of Wulang
For millennia, traditional communities have developed many strategies to use plants adequately, without
harming the ecosystems that harbor them. The eight mini-case series demonstrate that the traditional
approach regarding medicinal plants or medicinal plant-like products can be consciously enhanced by
using bio-ecological and other modern, relevant knowledge and management strategies. Several case
studies show that there are techniques for "simplifying" this traditional medicinal plant management in
such a way as to render it possible for the commercial stakeholders responsible for these sustainability

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://www.eejournals.org Open Access
systems to implement them and allow them to generate benefits, with the right technical and financial
support, from the establishment and operation of these systems. The technologies for doing so are of
kinds not commonly mentioned in academic discussion on medicinal plant sustainability. In the examples
documented in the case studies, high positive "side effects" from these commercial-led, post-traditional
development activities at the conservation and rural development levels are clearly reported. This is an
important learning of the project. The collection and widespread distribution of these case studies on
various continents can help to bring this message to "new" potential users and supporters far beyond Page | 148
traditional project-related collaborators [21, 22].
Challenges and Future Directions
There are numerous challenges to the sustainable development of the medicinal plant market. Ethical
wildcrafters or farmers may face competition from low-priced materials that have been overharvested or
are related to biopiracy. Harvest from the wild can lead to depletion of the plant populations; although
restoration of these populations is feasible, the time span to achieve increased supply can exceed 10 years.
As the demand has grown, cultivated material can be used as a buffer to reduce the potential for
wildcrafted populations to become overharvested or to reduce time to supply. Cultivation, as practitioners
and wildcrafters will note, may or may not reflect the potency and efficacy of wildcrafted material. There
are other concerns within both cultivation and wildcrafting, including habitat loss, land rights, and
establishment of ownership, but lack of space requires that these issues not be addressed here [23, 24].
Market access has been another challenge for the development of medicinal plant markets. Plants may be
collected sustainably, but the expense of having submitted a plant to drug-like studies in order to justify
marketing may be prohibitive. The value of the bodies of knowledge regarding plants from first nations
or traditional practitioners, and the extent to which this should affect market policies, have yet to be
widely settled. Finally, as changing climates affect plants that people would choose to use for medicine,
cultural and popular practice may (or may not) adapt. It is hypothesized that changes in plants will also
affect the efficacy of the plant medicines [25, 26].

CONCLUSION
The medicinal plant market holds vast potential as a tool for sustainable development, offering unique
solutions for healthcare challenges and economic empowerment. By promoting sustainable harvesting
practices, integrating traditional and modern knowledge, and fostering community-driven approaches,
the sector can enhance biodiversity conservation while addressing global health disparities. The success
of regional and global initiatives demonstrates that sustainable management is achievable with the right
technical, financial, and policy support. However, overcoming challenges such as resource overharvesting,
habitat destruction, and market inequities will require a multi-stakeholder approach, involving
governments, private enterprises, and local communities. As the demand for medicinal plants grows, a
balanced strategy emphasizing conservation and innovation will be pivotal to ensuring the longevity and
efficacy of this vital market.
REFERENCES
1. Arbiastutie Y, Diba F, Masriani M. Ethnobotanical and ecological studies of medicinal plants in a
mangrove forest in Mempawah District, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of
Biological Diversity. 2021 May 12;22(6). smujo.id
2. Henri H, Sari DP, Hakim L. Medicinal plants for traditional treatment used by the Malays in
South Bangka Regency, Indonesia. Biosaintifika: Journal of Biology & Biology Education. 2022
Apr 13;14(1):125-34. unnes.ac.id
3. Adhikari B, Marasini BP, Rayamajhee B, Bhattarai BR, Lamichhane G, Khadayat K, Adhikari A,
Khanal S, Parajuli N. Potential roles of medicinal plants for the treatment of viral diseases
focusing on COVID‐19: A review. Phytotherapy Research. 2021 Mar;35(3):1298-312. nih.gov
4. Khan T, Khan MA, Ullah N, Nadhman A. Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants against
COVID-19: The role of antiviral medicinal metabolites. Biocatalysis and agricultural
biotechnology. 2021 Jan 1;31:101890. nih.gov
5. Beebe S. Herbal Medicine–Origins and Major Systems of Herbal Therapy with Selected
Evidence‐based Interventions. Integrative Veterinary Medicine. 2023 May 30:71-8.
6. Wu L, Chen W, Wang Z. Traditional Indian medicine in China: The status quo of recognition,
development and research. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2021 Oct 28;279:114317.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://www.eejournals.org Open Access
7. Permatasari A, Dhewanto W, Dellyana D. The role of traditional knowledge-based dynamic
capabilities to improve the sustainable performance of weaving craft in Indonesia. Journal of
Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy. 2023 Apr 28;17(3):664-83.
[HTML]
8. Pillai J. Cultural Mapping: A Guide to Understanding Place, Community and Continuity (:
Revised and Updated). Strategic Information and Research Development Centre; 2022 Dec 8.
9. Panossian AG, Efferth T, Shikov AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Kuchta K, Mukherjee PK, Banerjee S, Page | 149
Heinrich M, Wu W, Guo DA, Wagner H. Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional
use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress‐and aging‐related diseases. Medicinal research
reviews. 2021 Jan;41(1):630-703. wiley.com
10. Ge S, Duo L, Wang J, Yang J, Li Z, Tu Y. A unique understanding of traditional medicine of
pomegranate, Punica granatum L. and its current research status. Journal of ethnopharmacology.
2021 May 10;271:113877.
11. Noviyati RP. CHAPTER VIII COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
IN POSTPARTUM. Unveiling Shadows: Nurturing Maternal Mental Health. 2023 Dec 15:272.
[HTML]
12. Zhao B, Liu K, Liu X, Li Q, Li Z, Xi J, Xie F, Li X. Plant‐derived flavonoids are a potential
source of drugs for the treatment of liver fibrosis. Phytotherapy Research. 2024 Apr 12.
13. Da Silva RF, Carneiro CN, de Sousa CB, Gomez FJ, Espino M, Boiteux J, Fernández MD, Silva
MF, Dias FD. Sustainable extraction bioactive compounds procedures in medicinal plants based
on the principles of green analytical chemistry: A review. Microchemical Journal. 2022 Apr
1;175:107184. [HTML]
14. Radha, Kumar M, Puri S, Pundir A, Bangar SP, Changan S, Choudhary P, Parameswari E,
Alhariri A, Samota MK, Damale RD. Evaluation of nutritional, phytochemical, and mineral
composition of selected medicinal plants for therapeutic uses from cold desert of Western
Himalaya. Plants. 2021 Jul 13;10(7):1429. mdpi.com
15. Chaachouay N, Zidane L. Plant-derived natural products: a source for drug discovery and
development. Drugs and Drug Candidates. 2024 Feb 19;3(1):184-207.
16. Jacob DE, Izah SC, Nelson IU, Daniel KS. Indigenous knowledge and phytochemistry:
deciphering the healing power of herbal medicine. InHerbal Medicine Phytochemistry:
Applications and Trends 2024 Jul 10 (pp. 1953-2005). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
17. Bisht IS. Agri-food system dynamics of small-holder hill farming communities of Uttarakhand in
north-western India: Socio-economic and policy considerations for sustainable development.
Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. 2021 Mar 16;45(3):417-49.
18. Taghouti I, Cristobal R, Brenko A, Stara K, Markos N, Chapelet B, Hamrouni L, Buršić D, Bonet
JA. The market evolution of medicinal and aromatic plants: A global supply chain analysis and
an application of the delphi method in the Mediterranean area. Forests. 2022 May 21;13(5):808.
mdpi.com
19. Nyaupane GP, Poudel S, York A. Governance of protected areas: an institutional analysis of
conservation, community livelihood, and tourism outcomes. Journal of Sustainable Tourism.
2022 Nov 2;30(11):2686-705.
20. McNeely JA. Nature and COVID-19: The pandemic, the environment, and the way ahead.
Ambio. 2021 Apr;50(4):767-81.
21. Batista BD, Singh BK. Realities and hopes in the application of microbial tools in agriculture.
Microbial Biotechnology. 2021 Jul;14(4):1258-68.
22. Nerva L, Sandrini M, Moffa L, Velasco R, Balestrini R, Chitarra W. Breeding toward improved
ecological plant–microbiome interactions. Trends in Plant Science. 2022 Nov 1;27(11):1134-43.
[HTML]
23. Teixidor‐Toneu I, Giraud NJ, Karlsen P, Annes A, Kool A. A transdisciplinary approach to
define and assess wild food plant sustainable foraging in Norway. Plants, People, Planet. 2023
Jan;5(1):112-22. wiley.com
24. Khakurel D, Uprety Y, Łuczaj Ł, Rajbhandary S. Foods from the wild: Local knowledge, use
pattern and distribution in Western Nepal. PLoS One. 2021 Oct 21;16(10):e0258905.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited
https://www.eejournals.org Open Access
25. Hobbs JE, Khorana S, Yeung MT. Moving beyond least developed country status: Challenges to
diversifying Bangladesh’s seafood exports. Aquaculture Economics & Management. 2023 Jul
3;27(3):498-522. bournemouth.ac.uk
26. Brendler T, Brinckmann JA, Feiter U, Gericke N, Lang L, Pozharitskaya ON, Shikov AN, Smith
M, Wyk BE. Sceletium for managing anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment: a traditional
herbal medicine in modern-day regulatory systems. Current neuropharmacology. 2021 Sep
1;19(9):1384-400. nih.gov Page | 150

CITE AS: Serunjogi Ruth (2024). The Medicinal Plant Market: Opportunities for
Sustainable Development in Disease Areas. EURASIAN EXPERIMENT JOURNAL OF
PUBLIC HEALTH, 7(2):145-150.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited