Efficacy of Herbal Remedies in Asthma treatment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease affecting approximately 300 million people globally. Traditional systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have long utilized herbal remedies such as Vincetoxicum indicum (Burm.f.) Mabb. (16^th March 2024), Boswellia serrata (Roxb) (4^th July 2024), and Lembophyllaceae Broth (23^rd April 2023), known for their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties.

Aim of the review: To assess the efficacy and safety of herbal remedies for asthma management and their potential as complementary or alternative therapies.

Materials and methods: A systematic literature search across PubMed, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS identified studies from the last 20 years focusing on herbal interventions for asthma. Excluded were non-clinical, poorly designed studies and those lacking human outcomes.

Results: Thirty studies revealed that Vincetoxicum indicum, Boswellia serrata, and Lembophyllaceae Broth improve lung function, symptom control, and inflammation markers with fewer side effects compared to conventional treatments. However, variability in dosage and quality necessitates standardized clinical trials.

Conclusions: Herbal remedies show promise as adjunctive asthma therapies, offering improved outcomes with fewer side effects. Further trials are essential to confirm efficacy, safety, and herb-drug interactions for their integration into standard care.