Plants For Health.

Authoritative plant data services that improve the safety, efficacy, traceability and scientific reliability of plant and fungi‑derived health products.

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Our Solution

Health products derived from plants and fungi are referred to using a bewildering array of ambiguous and imprecise names which are used inconsistently in different continents and disciplines. Professionals working across medicine and nutrition consequently misinterpret, or fail to find or share data and may make poor decisions impacting on public health or R&D investment. Those aware of these terminological challenges spend time searching for data about clinical trials, chemistry, product toxicity or adverse reactions.

Plants for Health has mapped the trade, common, pharmaceutical and other terms employed in the medical literature and legislation for natural products to Kew’s modern comprehensive & authoritative scientific references of plants and fungi.

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Validate

We are using this resource to validate, update and enrich our users’ data holdings, ensuring the integrity of their decision making.

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Data Exchange

We enable regulators, manufacturers, importers, or those running clinical trials of pharmaceutical drugs to exchange data about herbal products reliably despite their using of different names.

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Data Retrieval

We permit comprehensive retrieval of published data about a plant or fungus despite the widespread and historical use of different scientific names for each organism..

Plants and fungi are known by a multitude of vernacular, pharmaceutical and trade names which are not regulated or internationally controlled. These names change meaning from place to place and over time. The drugs and food supplements derived from these organisms are equally inconsistently and ambiguously referred to in pharmacopoeias, legislation, patents records and research.

Scientific plant names are necessary to solve this problem: each being formally defined, unique and their meaning never changes. They are used globally and across all disciplines.

It is not straightforward, however, to use scientific nomenclature appropriately. Non-botanists are confused by alternative scientific names for the same plant, or why the scientific name used for a plant may change.

These challenges lead to inconsistent and imprecise regulation and research and can frequently mislead R&D or clinical trials of pharmaceutical drugs where patients are consuming herbal products.