The history of usage of herbal medicine is as old as human civilization.
Plant-based drugs have been an invaluable and incredible source for several medical
treatments in the traditional system of medicine. With technological advances, it has
become possible to get a clear understanding of active compounds behind the
therapeutic effectiveness of these drugs. Plant-derived immunomodulators are one such
class of compounds, considered safe alternatives than synthetic immunomodulators
which cause serious side effects. These agents can increase the body’s immune
responsiveness against pathogens by activating both the innate and adaptive immune
systems. Phyto drugs have gained more interest due to their multi-pharmacological
potential of being antioxidant, adaptogen, etc. along with immunomodulator. The
current book chapter focuses on a few extensively scrutinized immunomodulatory
phytocompounds from medicinal plants such as Tinospora cordifolia, Andrographis
paniculata, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Allium sativum, Terminalia chebula,
and Piper longum. Phytomedicines from these plants have displayed significant
immunomodulatory potential in a variety of experimental (in vitro and in vivo) models,
few compounds have exhibited good therapeutic potential in clinical trials also.
Keywords: Herbal medicine, Immunomodulators, Medicinal plants, Ayurveda, Traditional medicine, Immune system, Phytocompounds.
