Review Article | Volume: 16, Issue: 9, September, 2026

Medicinal Plants for Hemorrhoid Therapy: Mechanistic Insights, Bioactive Compounds, and Preclinical-to-Clinical Evidence

Muhammad Rizal Januardi,  Finna Setiawan,  Ridho Islamie,  Johan Sukweenadhi,  Boonsong Wungsintaweekul,  Kartini Kartini   

Muhammad Rizal Januardi1, Finna Setiawan2,3, Ridho Islamie4, Johan Sukweenadhi3,5, Boonsong Wungsintaweekul6, Kartini Kartini3,7

1Master of Pharmacy Study Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

2Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

3Center of Excellence for Food Products and Health Supplements for Degenerative Conditions, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

4Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

5Department of Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

6School of Pharmacy, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

7Department of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

Open Access   

Published:  Aug 11, 2026

DOI: 10.1177/22313354261466849
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Abstract

Hemorrhoid is a multifactorial condition involving inflammation, venous stasis, degeneration of supporting tissue, and vascular fragility. It requires safer adjunctive therapy options for long-term use. This narrative review seeks to comprehensively examine potential anti-hemorrhoidal medicinal plants by linking bioactive compounds, pharmacological targets, and evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, focusing on original research articles that documented anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, venoprotective-venotonic, hemostatic-astringent, analgesic, and wound healing activities. The articles were further synthesized qualitatively according to the pathophysiology of hemorrhoids. A total of 90 articles met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on the predominant mechanism, namely anti-inflammatory–antioxidant agents (14 plants; 41 articles), vasoprotective–venotonic agents (6 plants; 10 articles), astringent–hemostatic agents (6 plants; 14 articles), and analgesic and wound healing acceleration (7 plants; 25 articles). The findings showed that medicinal plants operate through a multitarget manner by suppressing inflammatory mediators, increasing endogenous antioxidant defenses, improving venous tone and microvascular stability, supporting local hemostasis, and accelerating mucosal regeneration. Nonetheless, the evidence remains predominantly derived from preclinical studies, with variations in extraction methods, formulations, routes of administration, and dosages. Overall, medicinal plants have potential as adjuvant therapy for hemorrhoids; nevertheless, standardization of extracts and controlled clinical trials are necessary to ensure efficacy and safety.


Keyword:     Anti-inflammatory hemorrhoids hemostatic medicinal plants venotonic wound healing

Citation:

Januardi MR, Setiawan F, Islamie R, Sukweenadhi J, Wungsintaweekul B, Kartini K. Medicinal Plants for Hemorrhoid Therapy: Mechanistic Insights, Bioactive Compounds, and Preclinical-to-Clinical Evidence. J Appl Pharm Sci. 2026;16(9):776-794. https://doi.org/10.1177/22313354261466849

Copyright: © The Author(s). This open-access article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, which permits non-commercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is included, and any changes are indicated.
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