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Review
. 2022 Jul 18:13:874914.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.874914. eCollection 2022.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Disorder of Reproductive Age, Its Pathogenesis, and a Discussion on the Emerging Role of Herbal Remedies

Ling-Hui Zeng  1 , Saba Rana  2 , Liaqat Hussain  2 , Muhammad Asif  3 , Malik Hassan Mehmood  2 , Imran Imran  4 , Anam Younas  2 , Amina Mahdy  5 , Fakhria A Al-Joufi  6 , Shaymaa Najm Abed  7
Affiliations
Review

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Disorder of Reproductive Age, Its Pathogenesis, and a Discussion on the Emerging Role of Herbal Remedies

Ling-Hui Zeng et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a very common, complex, and heterogeneous endocrine disorder of women that involves a combination of environmental and genetic factors. PCOS affects women of growing age particularly at the early to late reproductive stage (15-35 years). Currently, PCOS affects 1 in every 10 women worldwide. It is characterized majorly by a raised level of androgens such as testosterone and a large number of ovarian cysts (more than 10) that cause anovulation, infertility, and irregular menstrual cycle. PCOS is also related to other endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, such as obesity, hirsutism, acne, diabetes, insulin resistance, and glucose impairment. PCOS can be treated with allopathic, ayurvedic, and natural or herbal medications along with lifestyle modifications. Herbal medicines remained in demand for numerous reasons such as high cost and side effects associated with the use of allopathic medicine and our traditional norms, which have helped humans to use more herbal products for their health benefits. Estrogenic and nonestrogenic phytochemicals present in various plant species such as Glycyrrhiza glabra L. [Fabaceae], Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. [Asphodelaceae], Silybum marianum (L.). Gaertn. [Asteraceae], Serenoa repens (W.Bartram) Small [Arecaceae], Actaea racemosa L. [Ranunculaceae], and Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels [Apiaceae] are effective and harmless. Herbal medicines are found to be cost-effective, efficacious, and a highly esteemed source of management/treatment for PCOS than allopathic medicines. In this literature review, diagnosis, signs, and symptoms of PCOS; causes of hormonal imbalance; and risk factors associated with PCOS and their management are discussed briefly, and the focus was to find out the role of herbal remedies in PCOS management.

Keywords: PCOS; endocrine abnormality; infertility; metabolic disorder; reproduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Environmental factors affecting PCOS.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Genetic factors associated with PCOS.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Hormonal imbalance associated with PCOS.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Sign and symptoms of PCOS.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Rotterdam criteria for diagnosis of PCOS and severity of the disorder.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Histopathological features of PCOS ovarian cross section representing changes in the ovary after PCOS. CF, cystic follicles; AF: atretic follicles.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Associated risk factors of PCOS.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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