The Herbal Approachto PCOD: Efficacy, Safety, and Future Directions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22270/ajprd.v13i3.1561Abstract
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS/PCOD) is a problem in which a woman’s hormones are out of balance.The pathogenesis is not fully known. Polycystic ovary syndrome is still difficult to diagnose correctly, despite simple diagnostic criteria.The aim of this study is to provide health care as well as substantial evidence that promote the use of herbal remedies to treat Polycystic OvarianSyndrome.A thorough review of the literature was carried out to identify the most relevant information. To ensure the paper's current quality, articles were selected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and other similar databases over eight-year period (2017-2024). This study found that certain plant components contain polyphenolic substances, including isoflavones and flavonoids, that can improve reproductive health in women. Its characteristic featureswhich include irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism, acne, and chronic anovulationare polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism, and infertility. High levels of androgens, or masculine hormones, and insulin resistance are associated with PCOS. Stress, a sedentary lifestyle, inactivity, dietary modifications, and inadequate sleep are additional factors that may contribute. Many plants have shown effectiveness in the treatment of PCOS, including Aloe, Punica granatum, Curcuma longa, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Tribulus terrestris, Saw palmetto,Berberine. In this review, an attempt has been made to provide a summary of the important medicinal herbs that are used in PCOS treatment or prevention. There is a special emphasis on the role of insulin resistance and the potential benefit of insulin sensitizers in the treatment of PCOS.
Downloads
References
Anjali, C. S., George, M., Das, P., & Soji, S. (2019). PCOD in female reproductive age: A review. World J Pharm Res, 9(1), 677-84.
Shah, N., Kumari, M., Sadhu, P., &Zanwar, A. (2023). Herbal Remedies for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Natural Product Research, 63
Patel A, Jacob A, Thomas R. A Comprehensive Review on Treatments for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Nur Primary Care. 2024;8(1):1-7.
Kamble AV, Dhamane SP, Kulkarni AS, Potnis VV. Review on effects of herbal extract for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Plant Archives (09725210). 2020 Oct 1;20(2).
Pachiappan S, Ramalingam K, Balasubramanian A. A review on phytomedicine and their mechanism of action on PCOS. Int. J. Cur. Res. Rev. 2020 Dec;12(23):81.
Siddiqui S, Mateen S, Ahmad R, Moin S. A brief insight into the etiology, genetics, and immunology of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics. 2022 Nov;39(11):2439-73.
Krishna KV, Sharma A, Krishnan K, Javalgikar A, Kar NR, Sahoo NK, Bagal DK, Pandey K, Vigneswari S. Polycystic ovarian syndrome: a brief review on the role of allopathic and herbal treatment.
Gaiju, L., & Kapil, S. (2021). A Case Study on Management of PCOS With A Herbal Formulation. International Research Journal of Ayurveda and Yoga, 4(6), 37-47
Dhankani MA, Patil HJ, Dhankani AR. A systematic review: ayurvedic herbal medicine for women with polycystic ovary syndrome. InMedical Sciences Forum 2023 (Vol. 21, No. 1, p. 46). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.
Azin F, Khazali H. Phytotherapy of polycystic ovary syndrome: A review. International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine. 2022 Feb 18;20(1):13.
Minocha N. Polycystic ovarian disease or polycystic ovarian syndrome: how to identify and manage-a review. Archives of Pharmacy Practice. 2020;11(2-2020):102-6.
Lakshmi JN, Babu AN, Kiran SM, Nori LP, Hassan N, Ashames A, Bhandare RR, Shaik AB. Herbs as a source for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome: A systematic review. BioTech. 2023 Jan 3;12(1):4.
Ande SN, Pavitrakar KN, Bakal RL, Kochar NI. A comprehensive review on promisable herbal drugs for mitigation of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Innovations in Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacotherapy. 2022;10(2):35-40.
Zeng LH, Rana S, Hussain L, Asif M, Mehmood MH, Imran I, Younas A, Mahdy A, Al-Joufi FA, Abed SN. Polycystic ovary syndrome: a disorder of reproductive age, its pathogenesis, and a discussion on the emerging role of herbal remedies. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022 Jul 18; 13:874914.
Chitra V, Dhivya DP. Role of herbals in the management of polycystic ovarian syndrome and its associated symptoms. International Journal of Herbal Medicine. 2017;5(5):125-31.
Goswami PK, Khale A, Ogale S. Natural remedies for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS): a review. Int J Pharm Phytopharmacol Res. 2012;1(6):396-402.
Manouchehri A, Abbaszadeh S, Ahmadi M, Nejad FK, Bahmani M, Dastyar N. Polycystic ovaries and herbal remedies: A systematic review. JBRA assisted reproduction. 2023 Jan;27(1):85.
Purohit A, Jain S, Nema P, Jain DK, Vishwakarma H, Jain PK. Asian Journal of Dental and Health Sciences. Health Sciences. 2022;2(1):27-32.
Kashani L, Akhondzadeh S. Herbal medicine in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. Journal of Medicinal Plants. 2016 Aug 10;15(59):1-5.
Kumar V, Kumar N. Therapeutic Effect of Herbal Medicinal Plants on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Review. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development. 2022;10(6):153-60.
Meena M, Sharma M, Dhakar A, Singh C, Sharma L, Purvia RP. Role of Foeniculum vulgare in PCOS—A Review Article. World J Pharm Res. 2019 Jun 28;8(10):344-50.
Dr Nillohit Mitra Ray K. From nature to nurture: a review of herbal approaches to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). OGF [Internet]. 2024 May 26 [cited 2025 Apr. 2];34(3s):1142-5. Available from: https://obstetricsandgynaecologyforum.com/index.php/ogf/article/view/435
Patel A, Jacob A, Thomas R. A Comprehensive Review on Treatments for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Nur Primary Care. 2024;8(1):1-7.
Jurgiel J, Graniak A, Opyd P, Zawodny T, Lis M. The role of berberine in polycystic ovary syndrome—a summary of knowledge. Ginekologia Polska. 2024;95(4):276-84.
Zhang SW, Zhou J, Gober HJ, Leung WT, Wang L. Effect and mechanism of berberine against polycystic ovary syndrome. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2021 Jun 1; 138:111468.
Yadav K, Ghadge P, Langeh A, Kalbhare S, Phadtare P, Bhoite R. A review on herbal medicinal plant for treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development. 2020 Aug 15;8(4):83-7.
Kahsar-Miller MD, Nixon C, Boots LR, Go RC, Azziz R. Prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in first-degree relatives of patients with PCOS. Fertility and sterility. 2001 Jan 1;75(1):53-8.
Maqbool M. Management of Polycystic ovary syndrome using drugs of herbal origin.
Jain H, Pandey D, Nama N, Kaushik P, Chaturvedi S. A Review on Herbal Management of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
Sarodea S, Bhosalea M, Banga P. Exploring herbal remedies: managing polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos) and its complications.
Wal A, Wal P, Saraswat N, Wadhwa S. A detailed review on herbal treatments for treatment of PCOS-Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Curr Nutraceuticals. 2021 Aug 4;2(3):192-202
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2025 Sakshi M. Shetye, Rupali S. Bhoir, Shubham S. Chavan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
AUTHORS WHO PUBLISH WITH THIS JOURNAL AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Unported License. that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).