Phytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents.
Traditional phytotherapy is a synonym for herbalism and regarded as alternative medicine by much of Western medicine. Although the medicinal and biological effects of many plant constituents such as alkaloids ( morphine, atropine etc.) have been proven through clinical studies, there is debate about the efficacy and the place of phytotherapy in medical therapies.
Modern phytotherapy, following the scientific method, can be considered the study on the effects and clinical use of herbal medicines.