Title : Woody medicinal plants as sources of polyphenolic structural prototypes: Bridging ethnomedicine, drug discovery, and evidence based phytopharmaceutical development
Abstract:
Traditional medicine has long relied on woody medicinal plants as valuable sources of bioactive constituents with broad therapeutic potential. Among these, polyphenolic compounds represent one of the most important classes of specialized metabolites owing to their remarkable structural diversity and pleiotropic biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, and chemopreventive effects. Plant polyphenols, beyond their direct pharmacological properties, serve as structural prototypes for the discovery and rational development of novel therapeutic agents and evidence-based phytopharmaceuticals. Woody medicinal plants, containing of polyphenolic compounds, are recognized in traditional medicine and considered from the perspective of modern drug discovery and phytopharmaceutical development. Particular attention is paid to species already accepted in the European Pharmacopoeia, including Ginkgo biloba, Crataegus spp., Betula spp., Sambucus nigra, Vitis vinifera, Ribes nigrum, Juglans regia, and Sophora japonica. These medicinal plant materials are standardized by their polyphenol content or contain polyphenolic constituents that make a substantial contribution to their established pharmacological activity. Their inclusion in official pharmacopoeial monographs illustrates the successful transition of traditional herbal remedies into scientifically validated medicines through quality standardization, phytochemical characterization, and evidence-based assessment of efficacy and safety.
Special emphasis is also placed on promising woody medicinal plants distributed in Ukraine that represent valuable yet comparatively underexplored sources of polyphenolic metabolites. Many of these species have a long history of application in local ethnomedicine and are included in national pharmacopoeias, including the State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine. Among the most notable are Aronia melanocarpa, characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins; Morus alba, rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids; Rosa spp., containing abundant flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins in addition to vitamin C; Prunus spinosa, valued for its phenolic-rich flowers; Amorpha fruticosa, a source of rotenoids and flavonoids with emerging pharmacological interest; Corylus avellana, whose leaves contain diverse flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids; and Viburnum opulus, traditionally employed for inflammatory and gynecological disorders and recognized for its complex phenolic profile. These species constitute a promising reservoir of structurally diverse polyphenols with considerable potential for further phytochemical investigation, biological evaluation, and pharmaceutical development. Combined with ethnopharmacological evidence, current analytical techniques and molecular pharmacology facilitate the identification of bioactive structural prototypes, the establishment of robust quality markers, and the development of standardized botanical preparations with reproducible therapeutic efficacy. Future research should focus on comparative phytochemical profiling, sustainable utilization of native plant resources, validation of traditional therapeutic claims through preclinical and clinical studies, and harmonization of quality standards across pharmacopoeias. Strengthening the bridge between traditional knowledge and modern pharmaceutical science will accelerate the discovery of innovative polyphenol-based phytomedicines while supporting biodiversity conservation and the preservation of ethnomedical heritage. Acknowledgements. This publication was prepared as a result of the project No. 2025.07/0381 “Integrative design strategies for multifunctional bioactive substances based on uncondensed and condensed azoles and natural polyphenolic compounds”, funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine (NRFU) from the state budget. The authors gratefully acknowledge the NRFU for supporting this research.
