The importance of harnessing the rich diversity of Sri Lankan flora for their medicinal value

Ethnomedicine evolved from the traditional use of plant parts for treating various ailments. Historically, most medical breakthroughs have arisen based on the plant sources showing potential for curing many diseases. Even so, the therapeutic power and scientific validation of their modes of action remains unexplored. Sri Lanka being a biodiversity hotspot due to its high endemism and diversity has inspired the search for ethnopharmacological values which may give rise to drug leads or to the discovery of new bioactive compounds. This brief review aims to highlight the global importance of the exploration of traditional medicinal plants, current status and the progress of the studies on Sri Lankan medicinal plants, and the necessity to discover the medicinal value of the Sri Lankan plants.