Avicenna's Canon of Medicine and Tuberculosis: A Review on Herbal Medicine in Animal Model Research

Abstract Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge, highlighting the need for new and complementary therapeutic methods and strategies. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of medicinal plants recommended by the renowned Persian physician Avicenna (Ibn Sina) for TB treatment, focusing on their phytochemical constituents and mechanisms of action. The present study combined a historical analysis of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine to identify medicinal plants used for tuberculosis with a systematic literature review (2000-2024) to evaluate their modern pharmacological evidence. The study targeted antimycobacterial, immunomodulatory, and symptom-relief activities using databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct. The current findings indicated that several plants, including Artemisia absinthium L., Artemisia vulgaris L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Hyssopus officinalis L., Myrtus communis L., Thymus vulgaris L., Rosa damascena Mill., Adiantum capillus-veneris L., Achillea millefolium L., Foeniculum vulgare Mill., Polygonum aviculare L., Phoenix dactylifera L., and Teucrium polium L. have a multifaceted approach against TB through potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and direct antimycobacterial effects. Bioactive compounds included in these plants, such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, are identified as key contributors that reduce oxidative stress, modulate immune responses, inhibit inflammatory mediators such as Interleukin-6, Interleukin-1β, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, and directly suppress Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. Furthermore, these compounds help mitigate pulmonary damage and enhance host immune defenses. By integrating Avicenna's traditional knowledge with contemporary pharmacological evidence, the potential of these plants as complementary therapeutic agents was noted.