Curcumin

Background: Curcuma longa (turmeric) has been widely utilized in Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Unani for the treatment of inflammatory and metabolic problems. The principal bioactive ingredient, curcumin, demonstrates anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory characteristics. Objective: This systematic review sought to rigorously investigate randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the efficacy and safety of Curcuma longa extracts in inflammatory and metabolic illnesses. Methods: In accordance with PRISMA rules, databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, Web of Science, and prominent Chinese repositories were examined till February 2025. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining Curcuma longa or curcumin (administered orally or topically) for arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, or associated conditions were included. The evaluated outcomes included clinical indicators (e.g., pain scores, glycemic control), biochemical markers (e.g., CRP, IL-6, lipid profile), and safety metrics. The Cochrane methodology was utilized to assess the risk of bias, and meta-analyses were performed when possible. Results: Twenty randomized controlled trials including 1,754 participants were considered. Curcuma longa markedly alleviated pain (mean difference [MD] −1.2; 95% CI −1.6 to −0.8) and enhanced WOMAC and DAS28 scores in arthritis. It also reduced levels of CRP, ESR, IL-6, and TNF-α. In metabolic diseases, curcumin enhanced HbA1c (MD −0.6%; 95% CI −0.8 to −0.4), fasting glucose, LDL, triglycerides, and elevated HDL levels. Markers of oxidativestress diminished, accompanied by enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes. Adverse effects were minor, primarilygastrointestinal, and dosages of up to 12 g/day were well tolerated. Conclusion: Extracts of Curcuma longa exhibitconsiderable promise as a supplementary treatment for inflammatory and metabolic illnesses, providing clinicallysignificant enhancements in pain, inflammation, and metabolic indicators with a favourable safety profile.Comprehensive, long-term randomized controlled trials with standardized, bioavailability-enhanced formulations arenecessary to validate these results and improve clinical integration.

Medicinal plants represent a promising source of antiviral agents against respiratory viruses, supported by evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies. Key bioactive compounds, including silymarin from Silybum marianum, germacrone from Geranium macrorrhizum, and licochalcone A from Glycyrrhiza glabra, have demonstrated the ability to reduce viral replication, inhibit viral enzymes such as neuraminidase, interfere with viral entry, and modulate host immune signaling pathways, enhancing viral clearance. Traditional multi-herb formulations, including Japanese medicines like Shahakusan and Hochuekkito, also show measurable antiviral activity, reflecting historical therapeutic applications. Despite these promising findings, challenges remain in standardizing extracts, evaluating pharmacokinetics and safety, and bridging in vitro potency to in vivo efficacy. Integrating in silico prioritization with systematic preclinical studies is essential to guide the selection of candidate phytochemicals for clinical translation. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of plant-derived antivirals as safe, effective, and complementary therapeutics for both human and veterinary respiratory viral infections.

The application of herbal drugs has become an extensive part of the human history because the drug has been in use since centuries and all over the continents of Ayurveda in India, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), to the traditional African and Native American medicine systems because the drug has been the major provider of health care before the emergence of synthetic drugs. However, the systematic adoption into health care systems has not been expeditious, consistent and consistent enough so as to be able to hold an adjuvative or substitute position, but not necessarily fit in the mainstream clinical practice. It is a literature review of the evolving role of herbal medicine in contemporary healthcare based on critical analysis of existing literature on its effectiveness, safety, pharmacological and regulatory acceptability in other locations. Such points are historical concepts, treatment role in the management of the chronic and lifestyle-based condition, advances in the clinical research, the persisting issues of standardization and quality control, and the potential of the national and international regulatory body to ensure authenticity and safety.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens are emerging and becoming a dire concern, and researchers are dependent on innovative solutions to the problem to reestablish antibiotic susceptibility. This paper examined synergisitc influences of plant-derived agents chosen to comprise of a conventional antibiotic against MDR pathogens. Phytochemicals had moderate anti-microbial activity against the same bacteria when administered separately, and their combination with antibiotics resulted in marked elevation of antimicrobial activity, decreased minimum inhibitory effect (MIC) and postponed resistance development. Bactericidal activity was demonstrated to be sustained over time by time-kill assays and cytotoxicity testing showed positive safety ratios at synergistic concentrations. These results were also justified statistically. Generally, these findings indicate the therapeutic potential value of phytochemical-antibiotic combination in curbing the menace of antimicrobial resistance as a cost effective and a sustainable method of managing this global emergency.