Emerging therapeutic role of Prunella vulgaris in thyroid disease
Zhang W, Wuhan Q, Na M, Hu R, Mu Q, Bao X · Chinese Herbal Medicines · 2022 July
DOI 10.1016/j.chmed.2021.12.005
Objective
Thyroid disease is characterized by unusual levels of thyroid hormones, which results in either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. To date, many drugs are suggested to have curative effects on thyroid disease, however, drug toxicity and long treatment periods encourage the search for more promising ones. Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) is a popular herb that has shown great potential for improving human immunity and organ protection. Here, a comprehensive literature review regarding the application of herbs or herbal recipes in the treatment of thyroid disease was presented. It is concluded that there is strong evidence for further research regarding the use of P. vulgaris in the treatment of thyroid diseases
Conclusions
Herbs such as P. vulgaris have great potential for treating thyroid disorders owing to their anti-oxidation and immunological effects and are frequently used as ingredients in herbal recipes. P. vulgaris is thought to combat drug toxicity within the body, therefore its own active ingredients have attracted much attention. The use of P. vulgaris with other drugs resulted in significant elimination of swollen nodules, reduced inflammatory response, and improved thyroid function. These effects of P. vulgaris benefit the clinical treatment of thyroid disease while having reduced drug-induced side effects and improved therapeutic effects. However, with only a few studies presenting treatment with Prunella vulgaris alone, further investigation is needed to to explore the physiological mechanisms.
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