Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Messina.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007 Sep;4(Suppl 1):41-3. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem095.
The increase of herbal medicine use led many scientists to contribute to the research in this field. Also a few pharmacologists, after an initial phase of correct criticisms, today recognize the possibility of investigating the scientific value of medicinal products composed essentially of vegetable extracts. However, it is logical to pose the questions: (i) is there a role for the pharmacologist in herbal medicine (or phytotherapy)? (ii) can we do without pharmacologists'? First, two worlds-drug researchers (pharmacologists) and herbal medicines-yesterday appearing in opposition, are today closer and it is not unusual to read scientific works describing herbal extracts in journals traditionally dedicated to the study of synthetic drugs. Second, clinical application of herbal medicines is evaluable through the methods of modern clinical pharmacology. Efficacy and safety of medicinal plants represent naturally the object of interest for the pharmacologist and it is surely this aspect which gives the most important information on herbal medicine use. Many plants have been studied and results published showing, one time good or another poor, efficacy. Safety aspects of some of the most frequently used plants are now well known. For example, today we learn to use hypericum and we do not give it to patients taking other drugs because the interactions of hypericum with them. Contraindications of other plants, often represented by interactions with drugs, are finally known (Ginkgo biloba and drugs acting on blood coagulation). In conclusion, antagonistic behavior of pharmacologists versus herbal medicines is not useful. On the contrary, modern phytotherapy needs the contribution of researchers usually trained to evaluate efficacy and safety of medicinals.
草药使用的增加促使许多科学家投身于这一领域的研究。一些药理学家在经历了最初阶段的正确批评后，今天也认识到有必要研究主要由植物提取物组成的药物的科学价值。然而，提出以下问题是合乎逻辑的：（i）药理学家在草药医学（或植物疗法）中有作用吗？（ii）我们能否没有药理学家？首先，药物研究人员（药理学家）和草药医学——昨天似乎相互对立的两个世界，今天更加接近，在传统上专注于合成药物研究的期刊上读到描述草药提取物的科学著作并不罕见。其次，草药的临床应用可以通过现代临床药理学的方法进行评估。药用植物的功效和安全性自然是药理学家感兴趣的对象，这肯定是关于草药使用的最重要信息。许多植物已经被研究并发表了结果，一次显示出良好的效果，另一次则显示出较差的效果。一些最常用植物的安全性方面现在已经众所周知。例如，今天我们学会使用贯叶连翘，但我们不会给正在服用其他药物的患者使用，因为贯叶连翘与它们相互作用。其他植物的禁忌症，通常表现为与药物的相互作用，最终也被了解（银杏和影响凝血的药物）。总之，药理学家对草药的对抗行为是没有用的。相反，现代植物疗法需要通常受过评估药物功效和安全性的研究人员的贡献。
