Europe PMC · 2026-06-03
Researchers reviewed 29 medicinal plants from the Himalayas traditionally used to treat digestive problems, finding that their active compounds—like berberine, kaempferol, and resveratrol—have real anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and gut-protective effects backed by lab studies. The review highlights both the promise of these plants and the need for more rigorous clinical trials before they can be widely integrated into modern medicine.
29 Himalayan medicinal plants were documented with traditional use for gastrointestinal disorders, alongside their identified active compounds and proposed mechanisms of action.
Key bioactive compounds including berberine, kaempferol, resveratrol, punicalagin, cinnamaldehyde, and swertiamarin demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and gastroprotective properties in in vivo and in vitro studies.
Despite documented ethnopharmacological use and experimental evidence, clinical validation in human trials remains limited, representing a major gap between traditional knowledge and modern medical integration.
