Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 11, Issue 5, 2025

Medicinal plants can be beneficial for boosting immunity against viral infections by inducing immune functions, antiviral activity, and immunomodulatory effects, and serving as potential alternative therapies. These benefits make them an important resource for managing viral diseases, including COVID-19. Millions of people in more than 200 countries are faced with health emergencies because of this viral disease. However, some allopathic medicines are being used to moderate the negative health impacts of coronavirus on human beings. Although many therapeutic drug candidates have reached phase 3 trials, due to a lack of sufficient clinical data and large randomized trials, none has been approved yet.

We have employed databases, like Google Scholar, Research Gate, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, etc., for the literature review using keywords, like medicinal plants, antiviral activity, COVID-19, etc. Medicinal properties of some plants have been considered in the present study, especially those possessing anti-viral properties. Also, the antiviral potential of some phytoconstituents against COVID-19 has also been discussed.

In the present article, therapeutic properties of numerous plants [e.g., Ocimum sanctum L. (Tulsi), Vitex trifolia L. (Nirgundi), Crocus sativus L. (Saffron or Kesar), etc.] have been thoroughly discussed against viral infections, including COVID-19. Several medicinal plants have been reported to exert immunomodulatory effects, which can help regulate the immune system and improve its response to viral infections. They can be used as a primary preventive measure during home quarantine to improve immunity and provide protection against viral infections. A strong immune system can help protect against infections, provide faster recovery from infections, prevent chronic diseases, and improve overall health and well-being.

This review article might be valuable for conducting future research for developing medicines against infectious diseases, like COVID-19. Medicinal plants could be useful for the pharmaceutical industries to minimize the impact of various viral infections, such as COVID-19.

Dysuria is a very prevalent urinary symptom experienced by the majority of people at least once over their lifetime. Despite the advantages of conventional medications for the management of dysuria, in some patients, there is no thoroughly successful treatment, so numerous patients have a tendency to use complementary or traditional treatments. Persian medicine (PM) consists of the sum total of all the knowledge and practices used in identification, prevention, and treatment in Iran from ancient times to the present. Persian Medicine (PM) manuscripts are a valuable source of experiences of Iranian scholars over the centuries, which contain a lot of information about medicinal herbs that have been used for dysuria.

The goal of this study was to assess the etiology of dysuria, its types, and treatment according to the principles of PM.

A literature search compiled some PM manuscripts, including the Canon of Medicine, Exir-e-Azam, and Tebb-e-Akbari, on the concept of dysuria as a prevalent disorder to review the etiology, types, and management of dysuria by PM scholars' approaches.

According to PM manuscripts, there are three main causes of dysuria. Also, dysuria was treated with three major approaches, including lifestyle modification, food substances, medicinal herbs, and finally, manual therapy.

In conclusion, it seems while there are flaws in the conventional management of dysuria, and PM recommendations have found empirical support over the centuries, some PM treatments can be helpful to conventional medicine as complementary medicine; however, more studies are necessary to confirm their effectiveness.

This study aimed to assess the quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the field of Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) by utilizing specific checklists and the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tools (RoB 1.0 and RoB 2.0).

RCTs in the field of TPM were analyzed in a systematic review between 2018 and 2022. Quality assessment was performed using CONSORT 2010, CONSORT extensions, RoB1.0 and RoB 2.0.

Out of 1112 primary retrieval articles, 139 were eligible for quality assessment. The mean scores of multi-arm studies and trials of herbal medicine interventions, according to CONSORT extensions, were 1.47 ± 0.66 and 1.48 ± 0.61 out of 2. Based on RoB 2.0, two-thirds of the studies were assessed as “high risk” and “some concerns”. The highest risk and most concerns were related to outcome measurement and randomization process, respectively. The lowest mean score was related to the methods section. Reports on drug and herbal interventions were insufficient, and the scores of key items, such as randomization implementation and allocation concealment, were less than one.

The reporting style of a considerable number of the TPM randomized controlled trials, especially in methodology, is a point of concern. The utilization and adherence to CONSORT extensions can be effective in improving the methodological quality of these studies and enhancing the credibility of the obtained results.

Epilepsy is a prevalent and serious brain disorder. Although drug therapy is commonly used to treat epilepsy, a significant portion of patients experience drug-resistant seizures. Alternative treatments such as ketogenic diets, brain neurostimulators, and surgical resection are available but may not be suitable for all patients. Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) manuscripts offer insights into various therapeutic approaches for epilepsy.

This study aims to compile and discuss the use of herbal therapies for epilepsy as outlined in ancient Persian manuscripts. Additionally, this study investigates the antiepileptic activities and mechanisms of actions of herbal remedies using contemporary medical literature.

Two main search strategies were employed. Firstly, ancient Persian pharmaceutical manuscripts were analyzed to extract information about herbal remedies for epilepsy. These manuscripts included five primary texts that are highly regarded in TPM. Secondly, contemporary electronic databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect were searched to obtain information on the antiepileptic activities and mechanisms of action of the identified herbal remedies. Furthermore, the models/methods and extract types utilized in the studies were retrieved.

The ancient Persian manuscripts revealed the identification of 102 medicinal plants used for the treatment of epilepsy, with the Apiaceae family being the most recommended. The most common route of administration was oral, but topical and nasal application methods were also mentioned. However, limited information regarding adverse effects was provided. Out of the 102 plants, 67 with scientifically approved names were included in the study. According to the recent literature review, many of these plants exhibited antiepileptic activities in animal studies, with their mechanisms of action primarily involving the GABAergic, opioid, and NMDA systems. Moreover, the MAO-A inhibitory properties of these plants, as a previously confirmed antiepileptic mechanism, were assessed.

The findings of this study highlight a wide range of medicinal plants used in TPM for epilepsy treatment. Several of these plants have demonstrated antiepileptic properties in animal studies, suggesting their potential effectiveness. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these herbal remedies in human participants. The outcomes of such research may potentially lead to the development of new antiepileptic treatments with reduced side effects.

Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbre (P. hydropiper) has long been used for the treatment of parasitic diseases by the Chinese ethnic minority “Tujia” people residing in the mountainous area of southwestern China.

Our previous experiments have demonstrated remarkable pharmacological effects of P. hydropiper against Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei). The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-trypanosomiasis activity of P. hydropiper.

Thirty-nine common targets of P. hydropiper and trypanosomiasis were obtained from the databases, and these common targets were uploaded to the STRING database to obtain a protein-protein interaction network diagram. Then, the hub genes of these common targets were screened using the CytoHubba. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted by the Metascape. Subsequently, the LeDock was used for molecular docking verification between the hub gene, anti-trypanosomiasis targets, and P. hydropiper. Finally, the most effective compound in P. hydropiper revealed by the docking results was used for the verification of the anti-trypanosomiasis ability by western blotting analyses.

Enrichment analysis indicated that the anti-trypanosomiasis of P. hydropiper was more frequently involved in mediating inflammation, probably by targeting interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9). Molecular docking demonstrated that the bioactive compound quercitrin in P. hydropiper exhibited the most stable binding mode with the trypanosomiasis target, and the compound previously confirmed to inhibit T. brucei, vanicoside F, exhibited the highest stability with ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and cysteine protease (CYP). The western blotting results showed that quercitrin significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation (mimicking T. brucei infection) and decreased expression of IL-10.

Our study demonstrated that P. hydropiper acts on T. brucei via the characteristics of multiple targets and pathways with several components through network pharmacology and is thus a potential candidate to be developed as a novel anti-trypanosomiasis drug.

Burns can be physically and mentally painful, making them one of the worst experiences. In this study, hydroalcoholic extracts of Thymbra spicata and Ferulago angulata were investigated as treatments for second-degree burns in male Wistar rats.

To create the burn wounds, a circular metal tool with a diameter of 2 cm was used, followed by treatment with prepared ointments including Ferulago angulata (1%), Thymbra spicata (1%), Thymbra spicata plus Ferulago angulata (1%), and Adib derm ointment. The wound area was measured and the wound tissue was examined histopathologically on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 in each group. The ointments were applied every day for 21 days to determine the wound healing rate.

The experiment showed that on the sixth and eleventh days, the groups treated with a combination of Ferulago angulata and Thymbra spicata, and Ferulago angulata alone, demonstrated significant reductions in wound area. According to histopathology, both Ferulago angulata alone and in combination with Thymbra spicata significantly improved the inflammatory condition, epithelialization process, fibroplasia, arrangement, and density of collagen fibers when compared to the other groups.

The study showed that Ferulago angulata extract, either on its own or in combination with Thymbra spicata extract, has significant healing and restorative effects on second-degree burn wounds in animal models.

The tropical climate in Indonesia can potentially predispose to various diseases caused by mosquitoes, one of which is Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF). Prevention by eradication of mosquito larvae (with larvicide) and mosquito bites (with repellent) is a strategic countermeasure to control DHF disease vectors. Larvicide and synthetic repellent use also can cause the development of resistance against the larvicide and thereby hurt humans. Therefore, it is necessary to find natural alternatives that are safe and more effective. One plant that has potential as a natural larvicide and repellent is the cat's whisker white-purple variety (Orthosiphon aristatus). The main secondary metabolite groups in white-purple cat whiskers are flavonoids and phenolics, and both groups are thought to have potential as larvicide and repellent.

This review aimed to analyze the potential of white-purple cat plants as larvicides and repellents.

Journal searches in this review came from primary data sources on the internet. Journal searches were conducted using search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. In this review, the prediction of the activity of the active compounds in cat's whiskers (sinensetin and rosmarinic acid) as larvicides was also carried out in an in silico study.

The rosmarinic acid and sinensetin contained in cat's whiskers plants have the potential as larvicide and repellent.

Based on the literature search, flavonoid, and phenolic compounds have potential as larvicides and repellent. The larvicide and repellent mechanisms of the two secondary metabolites are of concern because they can cause certain disorders in the central nervous system through skin absorption or breathing.