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Review
. 2025 Apr 9;18(4):551.
doi: 10.3390/ph18040551.

The In Vitro Pharmacokinetics of Medicinal Plants: A Review

Pamela Chaves de Jesus  1 , Deise Maria Rego Rodrigues Silva  1 , Pedro Henrique Macedo Moura  1 , Rajiv Gandhi Gopalsamy  2 , Eloia Emanuelly Dias Silva  3 , Marina Dos Santos Barreto  1 , Ronaldy Santana Santos  4 , Allec Yuri Santos Martins  5 , Anne Gabriela de Freitas Almeida  5 , Adriana Kelly Santana Corrêa  5 , Lucas Alves da Mota Santana  6 , Govindasamy Hariharan  7 , Adriana Gibara Guimarães  1 , Lysandro Pinto Borges  1
Affiliations
Review

The In Vitro Pharmacokinetics of Medicinal Plants: A Review

Pamela Chaves de Jesus et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: This review examines in vitro techniques for characterizing the pharmacokinetics of medicinal plants, focusing on their role in understanding absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME). The diverse bioactive compounds in medicinal plants highlight the need for robust pharmacokinetic evaluations to ensure their safety and efficacy. Objectives: The objectives were to identify and analyze in vitro techniques applied to medicinal plants' pharmacokinetics, addressing a gap in the literature. Methods: Studies were included based on predefined eligibility criteria: in vitro pharmacokinetic studies involving medicinal plants, focusing on ADME stages. Ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico studies were excluded, along with reviews. Data were collected from the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases in June 2024 using Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and their MeSH synonyms. The data extracted included study location, plant species, bioactive compounds, in vitro protocols, and ADME characteristics. Results: The review included 33 studies, with most focusing on metabolism (60%), absorption (25%), or a combination of ADME aspects. Techniques like Caco-2 cells, human liver microsomes, and simulated gastric and intestinal fluids were widely used. Conclusions: The findings highlight methodological heterogeneity, including variability in extract preparation, compound concentrations, and experimental conditions, which limits the comparability and clinical applicability of results. Key limitations include the lack of standardized protocols and physiological relevance in in vitro models, underscoring the need for multidisciplinary approaches and integration with in vivo studies.

Keywords: drug kinetics; in vitro techniques; medicinal plant; pharmacokinetics.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare that we have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A network map of the co-occurrence in the included studies.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A description of the structure of the results obtained from the search through the aforementioned search platforms. Source: PRISMA, 2020.
Figure 3
Figure 3
An analysis report on the general information recorded.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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