Mechanistic and Phytopharmacological Insights into Ayurvedic Botanicals for the Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Chronic anovulation, hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovarian morphology, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation are the hallmarks of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine-metabolic condition that affects the women of reproductive age. Interest in complementary and alternative medical systems, especially Ayurveda, has increased due to the complicated etiology and limitations of traditional medication. A phytotherapeutic strategy that targets several pathophysiological axes involved in PCOS is provided by Ayurvedic medicine. Emblica officinalis , Asparagus racemosus , Tinospora cordifolia , and Withania somnifera are among the botanicals that demonstrate a variety of biological actions, such as insulin sensitization, antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory response, and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis modulation. These plants are used in the traditional Ayurvedic formulas such as Ashokarishta, Kanchanar Guggulu , and Raj Pravartini Vati help to restore the metabolic and endocrine balance. Withanolides, shatavarins, berberine, guggulsterones, cinnamonaldehyde, and ferulic acid are the examples of phytoconstituents that interact with important molecular targets to affect lipid metabolic pathways, inflammatory cytokine networks, insulin receptor signaling, and steroidogenic enzymes. Together, these processes lend credence to their function as metabolic regulators and endocrine modulators in PCOS. From a phytopharmacological perspective, this review emphasizes the therapeutic value of Ayurvedic botanicals in the PCOS management. To prove their effectiveness and safety, however, thorough pharmacodynamic validation, phytochemical standardization, and clinical studies are necessary.