The disclosure relates to a method comprising: processing a biomass material comprising a plant-derived pharmaceutical to provide a processed material, wherein processing comprises irradiation, sonication, pyrolysis, oxidation and combinations thereof. The method disclosed can be used to effect: purification/isolation, production, increased pharmaceutical activity and altered pharmaceutical activity of the plant derived pharmaceuticals. Compounds that may be processed in such a manner include: salicin (derived from willow bark), allontoin (derived from comfrey), benzoin, camphor (derived from camphor basil), ephedrine (derived from Ephedra), atropine (derived from Duboisia myoporoides), L-dopa (derived from mucuna deeringiana), physosigmine (derived from Physostigma venenosum) bromelain, chymopapain, cocaine, deserpidine, emetine, hyoscyamine, kawaina, monocrotaline, ouabain, papain, pilocarpine, quinidine, quinine, rescirmami, reserpine, scopolamine, tubocurarine, vinblastine, yohimbine, caprylic-acid, cineole, citric acid, codeine, cresol, guaiacol, lecithin, menthol, phenol pseudephedrine, sorbitol, and tartaric acid.
