Herbal Therapy: A New Pathway for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system, where environmental factors interact with genetic susceptibility. The aim of the present article was to review the evidence related to medicinal plants in the management of MS symptoms. The literature review was conducted using the electronic databases including Cochrane Library, Webof Science, Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar. The key words used as search terms were multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus, cuprizone, lysolecithin, medicinal plants, herbal therapy, phytomedicine, andpharmacognosy. No time limitation was considered in this study. Different medicinal plants have shown positive effects on MS including Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Curcuma longa (turmeric), Crocus sativus (saffron), Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort), Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry), Nigella sativa (black seed) and etc. The beneficial effects of herbal medicines in MS diseaseare occurred by the reduction of CNS inflammation and demyelination. They also show antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties in neural tissue. Some plant extracts modulate the expression of IL-27, IL-33, enhanced remyelination in the cerebellum and reduce the expression of TGF β, inhibit the proliferation of T cells, and the production of inflammatory cytokines as well as selective inhibition of potassium channels of isolated axons. Medicinal plants have demonstrated a new horizon in curing neurodegenerative disorders such as MS. Conclusion: Further studies are needed to disclose the exact mechanisms of action through which medicinal plants exhibit their anti-inflammatory andneuroprotective effects against MS disease.