Bioguided isolation of pharmacologically active plant components, still a valuable strategy for the finding of new lead compounds?

The position of natural products research in the drug discovery and development process nowadays is discussed. A flow chart for the study of plants used in traditional medicine, and the composition of a multidisciplinary research team for the investigation of medicinal plants are presented, and some recommendations are made for the future of bioassay-guided isolations and the use of standardised plant extracts in developing countries.