Background:
Cough is one of the most common medical symptoms for which medical
advice is sought. Although cough is a protective reflex responsible for clearing the airways
from secretions and foreign bodies, it can be a troublesome symptom that causes discomfort
to patients. Due to the increasing interest in herbal remedies in the both developed and
developing countries, in the current study, we aimed to overview medicinal herbs containing
essential oils used as antitussive agents according to the Traditional Persian Medicine [TPM]
textbooks. We summarized the relevant scientific evidence on their possible pharmacological
actions.
Methods:
To collect the evidence for treatment of cough or “seaal” [cough in ancient books]
from TPM sources, five main medicinal Persian manuscripts were studied. The antitussive
herbs were listed and their scientific names were identified and authenticated in accordance
with botanical reference books. ScienceDirect and PubMed online databases were searched
for related mechanisms of action of the reported medicinal plants.
Results:
The number of 49 herbs containing essential oils were recommended in TPM for the
treatment of cough; 21 of them had at least one known mechanism of action for cough
suppression in the scientific literature. According to this review, most of the cited medicinal
plants were assessed for either nitric oxide inhibitory or antitussive/expectorant activities.
Conclusion:
In addition to advantageous effects of antitussive herbs noted by TPM, the
present review highlighted some recent evidence-based data on these promising candidates
that could be used as an outline for future research on their medicinal use.
Medicinal Plants and Mushrooms with Immunomodulatory and Anticancer Properties—A Review on Hong Kong’s Experience