Botanical Drugs, Synergy, and Network Pharmacology: Forth and Back to Intelligent Mixtures

摘要: For centuries the science of pharmacognosy has dominated rational drug development until it was gradually substituted by target-based discovery in last fifty years. Pharmacognosy stems from different systems traditional herbal medicine and its "reverse pharmacology" approach led to numerous pharmacologically active molecules leads for humankind. But do botanical drugs also provide effective mixtures? Nature evolved distinct strategies modulate biological processes, either selectively targeting macromolecules or creating molecular promiscuity polypharmacology (one molecule binds targets). Widely claimed be superior over monosubstances, mixtures bioactive compounds allegedly exert synergistic therapeutic effects. Despite evolutionary clues synergism nature, sound experimental data are still widely lacking support this assumption. In short review, emerging concept network pharmacology is highlighted, importance studying ligand-target networks emphasized. Furthermore, problems associated with distinctly pharmacodynamic properties addressed. It concluded that a better understanding potential fundamental ongoing rationalization phytotherapy.