Abstract

Purpose Traditional medicine and herbal therapy, as a health-care approach of traditional medicine, are receiving increased attention from both the public and scientific society. The number of articles presented on traditional medicine and its applications is increasing rapidly. However, compared with extensive ongoing herbal research, achievements are not remarkable. The objective of the present article is to highlight some existing research gaps, which bridging the gaps will increase the quality and validity of the results of herbal research. Methods Iranian and non-Iranian articles on Allium sativum L. were reviewed for compliance with standards and requirements for herbal research. Results Botanical nomenclature, the processing and the extraction procedures, and the history of traditional medicine were the most important gaps in the herbal research. Conclusions Traditional and herbal medicines are rich and promising sources for drug development. Researchers and authors should consider that the familiarity with the history, characteristics, and potentials of traditional medicine systems is an important factor, accelerating the process of natural-based drug development. Moreover, essential standards with a high impact on the validity and reliability of the results of herbal research must not be ignored. Also, numerous fields remain to be considered by scientists and researchers, including the status of medicinal herbs, toxicological assessments, biological and pharmacological mechanisms of disease, and research questions.