Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common metabolicendocrine and multi-faceted gynecological disorders for reproductive-aged women.
This condition has multiple undesirable effects with psychological, reproductive, and
metabolic evidence. Multi-systemic adverse effects and conditions in PCOS cause
irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism, infertility, insulin resistance, diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunctions, and eating disorders.
PCOS symptoms are multi-faceted and alterable for each person, leading to different
treatment methods evaluated from different perspectives. There are no definitive and
ideal treatments for hormonal disorders-related clinical symptoms. Alternative
therapies are also considered instead of commercially available drugs. In addition,
alternative treatment methods have increased tremendously in recent years due to their
minimal side effects. Since the therapies for PCOS require a multidisciplinary approach
to understanding all aspects of this condition, medicinal plants should also be
considered. The role of medicinal plants, including spices and their bioactive
components, has been encouraged to prevent and treat PCOS, with new treatment
strategies yielding promising results. Therefore, in this review, a general evaluation of
the plants and herbal products in PCOS has been compiled from the preclinical and
clinical point of view, with the current publications based on in vitro, preclinical, and
clinical studies as a new perspective. Moreover, traditional usages of the plants, based
on the ethnopharmacological aspects of PCOS, have been evaluated. The effects and
underlying mechanisms of herbal medicines used as a remedy for PCOS were also
reviewed with the expectation of herbs-spices and new herbal-based products that are
effective on PCOS for future treatments.
Keywords: Clinical, Plant, Preclinical, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Traditional.
