Final answer:
Approximately 10 percent of modern drugs are currently derived from plant extracts, a decrease from 25 percent. Nevertheless, natural compounds contributed to about 35 percent of new drugs between 1981 and 2002. Medications like aspirin and antibiotics are notable examples of drugs originating from natural sources.
Step-by-step explanation:
The percentage of prescription drugs that come from ethnoecological studies of indigenous plants has shifted throughout modern medical history. At one point, it was estimated that 25 percent of modern drugs contained at least one plant extract. This has decreased over time with the advancement of synthetic chemistry to about 10 percent. However, between 1981 and 2002, about 35 percent of new drugs brought to market were derived from natural compounds, showing the continuous influence of natural substances on pharmaceutical research and development.
Medicines such as aspirin, codeine, digoxin, atropine, and vincristine are significant examples of drugs that originated from plant compounds. Furthermore, antibiotics, which have dramatically improved health outcomes, are largely derived from fungi and bacteria. Ethnobotanists and pharmacognosists are central to discovering new medications from natural sources, as they bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern science.