The effectiveness of medicinal plants on management of polycystic ovary syndrome: A Review Article

Background and Objective: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders that effects on 5-24% of women depend on diagnosis criteria. Today, due to the complications of chemical drugs, alternative medicine has been considered. The aim of this study was reviewing the effectiveness of medicinal plants on management of polycystic ovary syndrome.Materials and Methods: The initial search was conducted with the keywords of medicinal plants, polycystic ovary syndrome and alternative medicine in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and SID from 2007 to 2018 and from 32 total articles, experimental studies were deleted and 14 related articles were reviewed.Results: 8 review articles and 6 interventional-clinical trials study were reviewed. All papers had considered the effect of medicinal plants on polycystic ovary syndrome, that according to, fennel, cinnamon and guduchi through reducing insulin resistance; black cohosh and maitake mushroom through inducing ovulation; asparagus, pergularia, fenugreek and flaxseed through menstrual regulation; basil, cinnamon, green tea, saw palmetto extract and sage through decreasing weight; betony, celery seeds and anise through improving oligomenorrhea; chamomile, basil, dandelion root, spearmint, date palm, peppermint tea, pygeum africanum, nettle root and fennel through anti-androgenic effects; saw palmetto extract, date palm, peony tea and evening primrose oil through estrogens regulation; date palm and vitex agnus-castus extract through increasing progesterone; peony tea and vitex agnus-castus extract through reducing prolactin and fennel through increasing FSH had effect on polycystic ovary syndrome. Spearmint through decreasing hirsutism level, mountain tea through improving abnormal uterine bleeding caused by polycystic ovary syndrome, fenugreek seed through ovarian volume and ovarian cyst size reduction in ultrasonography and chamomile dried flowers extract through increasing dominant follicle and improving endometrial tissue also had beneficial effects on polycystic ovary syndrome. In addition, Shilan medicinal capsules (rhamnaceae) had anti-steroid effects and has similar effects to metformin.Conclusion: Although this study has been designed to introduce medicinal herbs affecting polycystic ovary syndrome, medicinal plants consumption can also be associated with side effects. Therefore, comprehensive clinical trials related in introduced plants is recommended.