POTENTIAL OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN VITILIGO MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW ON PHYTOCHEMICAL STRATEGIES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Vitiligo is a skin condition that cause skin to lose color as melanocytes die. While pathogenesis of vitiligo remains not understood, factors such as oxidative stress, cellular response, immune response have been identified as key contributors to melanocytes destruction. Conventional treatments, including synthetic drugs like corticosteroid, vitamin D3 analogue, immune suppressants, and phototherapy, are often associated with side effects and varying efficacy. Ongoing research has demonstrated the potential of herbal remedies like alternative or adjunctive therapies in managing vitiligo. Several plant-based compounds, including flavonoids, antioxidants, and other bioactive molecules, have shown promise in modulating immune responses, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting melanocytes regeneration. Herbal drugs, such as Ginkgo biloba, curcumins melo, are being explored for their potential benefits in treating vitiligo. Moreover, vitamin supplements, particularly those rich in antioxidants like vitamin D, C, AND B12, have been suggested to support the therapeutic process by enhancing skin health and protecting melanocytes from oxidative damage. These abstract aims to review the current understanding of vitiligo’s pathogenesis, the role of herbal treatments, and their comparison to synthetic drugs, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of integrating herbal medicine into vitiligo management. To conduct this review, an extensive literature search was conducted using relevant publication published and indexed in Google scholar, Elsevier and science direct were studied.