Polyherbal Formulations: A Comprehensive Review of Trending Synergistic Combinations

References

[1] Patwardhan B, Warude D, Pushpangadan P, Bhatt N. Ayurveda and traditional

[2] Chinese medicine: a comparative overview. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005;2(4):465-473.

[3] Hopkins AL. Network pharmacology: the next paradigm in drug discovery. Nat Chem Biol. 2008;4(11):682-690.

[4] Efferth T, Koch E. Complex interactions between phytochemicals. The multi-target therapeutic concept of phytotherapy. Curr Drug Targets. 2011;12(1):122-132.

[5] World Health Organization. *WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023*. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013.

[6] Peterson CT, Denniston K, Chopra D. Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine. J Altern Complement Med. 2017;23(8):607-614.

[7] Baliga MS, Meera S, Mathai B, Rai MP, Pawar V, Palatty PL. Scientific validation of the ethnomedicinal properties of the Ayurvedic drug Triphala: a review. Chin J Integr Med. 2012;18(12):946-954.

[8] Patel DK, Prasad SK, Kumar R, Hemalatha S. An overview on antidiabetic medicinal plants having insulin mimetic property. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2012;2(4):320-330.

[9] Tong XL, Dong L, Chen L, Zhen Z. Treatment of diabetes using traditional Chinese medicine: past, present and future. Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(5):877-886.

[10] Dong H, Wang N, Zhao L, Lu F. Berberine in the treatment of type 2 diabetes

[11] mellitus: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:591654.

[12] Aguiar S, Borowski T. Neuropharmacological review of the nootropic herb Bacopa monnieri. Rejuvenation Res. 2013;16(4):313-326.

[13] Iwasaki K, Satoh-Nakagawa T, Maruyama M, et al. A randomized, observer-blind, controlled trial of the traditional Chinese medicine Yi-Gan San for improvement of behavioral and psychological symptoms and activities of daily living in dementia patients. J Clin Psychiatry. 2005;66(2):248-252.

[14] Howes MJ, Perry NS, Houghton PJ. Plants with traditional uses and activities, relevant to the management of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive

[15] disorders. Phytother Res. 2003;17(1):1-18.

[16] Sultana S, Khan N, Sharma S, Alam A. Modulation of biochemical parameters by hepatoprotective Liv.52 in ethanol-fed rats. Ann Hepatol. 2003;2(4):216-220.

[17] Thyagarajan SP, Jayaram S, Gopalakrishnan V, Hari R, Jeyakumar P, Sripathi MS.

[18] Herbal medicines for liver diseases in India. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2002;17 Suppl 3:S370-S376.

[19] Shi C, Li X, Wang X, et al. The traditional Chinese medicine formula Chaihu Shugan San ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating hepatic lipid

[20] metabolism and gut microbiota. Phytomedicine. 2022;104:154295.

[21] Sarup P, Bala S, Kamboj S. Pharmacology and Phytochemistry of Oleo-Gum Resin of Commiphora wightii (Guggulu). Scientifica (Cairo). 2015;2015:138039.

[22] Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-356.

[23] Singh N, Bhalla M, de Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a Rasayana (rejuvenator) of Ayurveda. Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. 2011;8(5 Suppl):208-213.

[24] Saiki I. A Kampo medicine "Juzen-taiho-to"--prevention of malignant progression and metastasis of tumor cells and the mechanism of action. Biol Pharm Bull. 2000;23(6):677-688.

[25] Wagner H, Ulrich-Merzenich G. Synergy research: approaching a new generation of phytopharmaceuticals. Phytomedicine. 2009;16(2-3):97-110.

[26] Zhao J, Jiang P, Zhang W. Molecular networks for the study of TCM pharmacology. Brief Bioinform. 2010;11(4):417-430.

[27] Atal N, Bedi KL. Bioenhancers: Revolutionary concept to market. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2010;1(2):96-99.

[28] Fong WF, Wang C, Zhu GY, Leung CH, Yang MS, Cheung HY. Reversal of multidrug resistance in cancer cells by Rhizoma Alismatis extract. Phytomedicine. 2007;14(2- 3):160-165.

[29] Wang JB, Zhao HP, Zhao YL, et al. Hepatotoxicity or hepatoprotection? Pattern recognition for the paradoxical effect of the Chinese herb Rheum palmatum L. in treating rat liver injury. PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24498.

[30] Kamali SH, Khalaj AR, Hasani-Ranjbar S, et al. Efficacy of 'Itrifal Saghir', a

[31] combination of three medicinal plants in the treatment of obesity; A randomized controlled trial. DARU J Pharm Sci. 2012;20(1):33.

[32] Lian F, Li G, Chen X, et al. Chinese herbal medicine Jiangtang San for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. J Tradit Chin Med. 2014;34(3):372-380.

[33] Kean JD, Downey LA, Stough C. A systematic review of the Ayurvedic medicinal herb Bacopa monnieri in child and adolescent populations. Complement Ther Med. 2016;29:56-62.

[34] Gajendra, Sharma V, Sharma S, Singh L. A clinical study on the efficacy of Liv.52 in patients with alcoholic liver disease. Med Today. 1995;7:34-37.

[35] Haroyan A, Mukuchyan V, Mkrtchyan N, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin and its combination with boswellic acid in osteoarthritis: a comparative, randomized,

[36] double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):7.

[37] Iizuka N, Miyamoto K, Hazama S, et al. Anticachectic effects of the natural herb Coptidis rhizoma and berberine on mice bearing colon 26/clone 20

[38] adenocarcinoma. Int J Cancer. 2000;85(6):869-876.

[39] Xie PS, Leung AY. Understanding the traditional aspect of Chinese medicine in order to achieve meaningful quality control of Chinese materia medica. J Chromatogr A. 2009;1216(11):1933-1940.

[40] Izzo AA, Ernst E. Interactions between herbal medicines and prescribed drugs: an updated systematic review. Drugs. 2009;69(13):1777-1798.

[41] World Health Organization. WHO guidelines for assessing quality of herbal medicines with reference to contaminants and residues. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2007.

[42] Zhang A, Sun H, Wang X. Power of metabolomics in diagnosis and biomarker discovery of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatology. 2013;57(5):2072-2077.

[43] Valdes AM, Walter J, Segal E, Spector TD. Role of the gut microbiota in nutrition and health. BMJ. 2018;361:k2179.

@article{1713376,
      author = {Shivam Dixit, Neha Rawat, Shikha Jaiswal},
      title = {Polyherbal Formulations: A Comprehensive Review of Trending Synergistic Combinations},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {9},
      number = {7},
      pages = {338-344},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1713376.pdf},
      abstract = {Polyherbalism, the practice of combining multiple medicinal plants, represents a cornerstone of traditional medical systems worldwide, including Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and Kampo. This paradigm is predicated on the concept of synergy, where the therapeutic outcome of the combination is greater than the sum of the effects of its individual constituents. Driven by the resurgence of interest in natural products and the limitations of single-target, single-drug therapies for complex diseases, scientifically validated polyherbal formulations are gaining significant traction in global integrative medicine. This review systematically examines trending polyherbal formulations from major traditional systems and contemporary research. We analyse their historical context, phytochemical complexity, and proposed mechanisms of action, focusing on synergistic pharmacological interactions. A critical evaluation of preclinical and clinical evidence for their efficacy in managing prevalent conditions such as metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative disorders, hepatotoxicity, inflammation, and immune dysregulation is presented. Furthermore, the review addresses key challenges in standardization, quality control, pharmacokinetic herb-herb interactions, and regulatory harmonization. By bridging traditional wisdom with modern scientific rigor, this article highlights the potential of polyherbal formulations as viable strategies for developing novel, multicomponent therapeutics for multifactorial diseases and underscores priorities for future research.},
      keywords = {Polyherbal, Synergy, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Standardization, Phytomedicine, Pharmacokinetics, Clinical Trials.},
      month = {January},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I7-1713376}
  }