Context: When evaluating bioactivity, efficacy, and toxicology of plant products, attention should be paid on pre-clinical versus clinical research.
Objective: To emphasize an evidence-based approach in the field of phytotherapy research.
Methods: The pyramid of scientific evidence was used in order to assess the quality of phytotherapy studies.
Results and conclusion: In terms of evidence-based phytotherapy, a step-by-step approach, ascending the "pyramid" of scientific evidence, is essential in order to collect correct information useful to clinicians and physicians, leant on the robust foundations of in vitro/in vivo studies.
Keywords: Clinical studies; evidence-based medicine; phytotherapy; pre-clinical studies.