Ethnopharmacy and natural product research-Multidisciplinary opportunities for research in the metabolomic age

The 'omics' (r)evolution allows a systematic investigation of complex mixtures and specifically to link phytochemical analysis with other strategies (such as in vitro or in vivo screening for biological activity or toxicity, morphological plant diversity and ecological parameters). In medicinal and food plan research, the main challenge is to understand the complex effects of such extracts. Since most of these research activities are linked to plants used in traditional and local cultures, this requires an ethnopharmaceutical approach.