Editorial: Phytochemicals in modern medicine: health benefits and toxicological considerations

One of the critical steps in the development and implementation of novel compounds derived from natural products is the safe and effective extraction and preservation of the bioactive molecules. In this regard, Sun et al. have provided a comprehensive overview on the extraction methods and their potential influence on the composition and activity of plant-derived mixtures. The authors emphasise the critical parameters influencing the stability of bioactive compounds, which are the solvent polarity, particle size, extraction time and temperature. Furthermore, novel technologies shorten processing time, improve extraction efficiency, and increase preservation of bioactive molecules. Moreover, this area still faces significant methodological challenges, as reproducibility remains limited. This is caused by the differences in phytochemical formulations due to variability of plant previously demonstrated to be useful in a variety of malignancies [6].The review summarizes the evidence on the therapeutic potential of 117 curcumin against benign and malignant gynecologic conditions.