Challenges in developing medicinal plant databases for sharing ethnopharmacological knowledge.

Area of Science:

• Ethnobotany and Pharmacology
• Bioinformatics and Data Science

Background:

• Ethnopharmacology generates vast data on medicinal plants, necessitating efficient data management through computerized databases.
• Web-based databases enhance knowledge transmission but suffer from a lack of uniformity, hindering common ethnopharmacological objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review diverse approaches for storing ethnopharmacological information in databases.
• To propose minimal standards for the development of medicinal plant databases.

Main Methods:

• A literature survey of medicinal plant databases was conducted using internet searches and grey literature.
• Resources were critically analyzed for content type, focus area, and software technology.

Main Results:

• There is a need to incorporate traditional knowledge and define standards for data quality and authenticity.
• Databases focusing on thematic areas like traditional medicine systems, regional aspects, diseases, and phytochemicals were analyzed.
• Issues such as data standardization, linking, unique identification, updates, and sustainability require attention.

Conclusions:

• Despite variations, overlapping features in existing databases indicate redundancy.
• Collaborative efforts are needed to define common standards for medicinal plant databases to advance scientific knowledge.
• Focusing on specific regional areas may be more feasible than a single global database due to cultural differences.