The Role of Medicinal Plants in Mitigating HIV-Related Inflammation

Bwanbale Geoffrey David

Faculty of Pharmacy Kampala International University Uganda

ABSTRACT

Despite the transformative role of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in managing HIV, chronic inflammation persists in people living with HIV (PLWH), contributing to immune exhaustion and the development of non-AIDS comorbidities. Persistent immune activation marked by elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines and T-cell exhaustion markers such as PD-1 and CD69—continues to drive pathogenesis, even in individuals with suppressed viral loads. Medicinal plants, long used in traditional health systems, offer bioactive compounds with significant immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory potential. This paper investigates the role of selected medicinal plants in modulating HIV-related inflammation, especially their effects on CD4+ T-cell activation and exhaustion in ex vivo and cytokine-induced models. Promising candidates, including Azadirachta indica, Ginkgolide A, and epicatechin gallate, demonstrated potent downregulation of activation and exhaustion markers in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). These findings suggest that anti-inflammatory phytochemicals could serve as adjunctive therapies to ART, especially in resource-limited settings, by improving immune profiles and reducing systemic inflammation. The integration of traditional knowledge with biomedical research presents a vital path toward complementary HIV treatment strategies.

Keywords: HIV-related inflammation, Medicinal plants, CD4+ T-cell activation, Immune exhaustion, Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), Azadirachta indica, Anti-inflammatory phytochemicals.

CITE AS: Bwanbale Geoffrey David (2025). The Role of Medicinal Plants in Mitigating HIV-Related Inflammation. IDOSR JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ALLIED FIELDS 10(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JBBAF/2025/10117