Traditional Medicinal Plants Used in Cold and Cough: A Pharmacological Review

Abstract

Traditional medicinal plants have long played a central role in the management of respiratory ailments such as cold, cough, bronchitis, and sore throat. Numerous indigenous systems, including Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and folk medicine, utilize a variety of herbs with expectorant, mucolytic, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties. The present review compiles and analyzes current pharmacological and phytochemical evidence supporting these ethnomedicinal uses. Key plant species—Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi), Adhatoda vasica (Vasaka), Zingiber officinale (Ginger), Piper longum (Long pepper), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), and Justicia adhatoda—are discussed for their bioactive compounds and mechanisms of action, including anti-inflammatory and bronchodilatory effects. This review aims to integrate traditional knowledge with contemporary pharmacological validation, thereby providing a scientific basis for the continued and safe use of these plants in modern herbal formulations.