Beyond the Leaf: Why Whole-Plant Extracts Often Outperform Isolated Compounds
In an era of molecular precision and pharmaceutical reductionism, it may seem counterintuitive to advocate for more complexity, not less. Yet in phytotherapy, the wisdom of working with the entire plant—rather than isolating single “active” constituents—is increasingly supported by modern research.
While isolating a compound like curcumin from turmeric or hypericin from St. John’s Wort may simplify clinical trials and marketing, it often misses the nuanced interplay of constituents that gives a plant its therapeutic depth. As Yadav et al. (2024) emphasize in a comprehensive review, whole-plant extracts consistently demonstrate superior therapeutic outcomes, driven by a concept pharmacognosists now recognize as the entourage effect or phytochemical synergy.