REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
This article is part of the Research TopicGut Microbiota and Women’s Health: Insights from Basic Research to Clinical ApplicationsView all 4 articles
Gut microbiota dysbiosis in polycystic ovary syndrome: Focus on diet, probiotics, and traditional Chinese medicine
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
- 2The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
- 3Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder, primarily characterized by symptoms such as ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic ovarian morphology. In recent years, research has revealed that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. Diet, as an essential factor in regulating gut microbiota, significantly impacts the clinical presentation and metabolic status of PCOS patients. Although substantial research has explored the relationship between PCOS and gut microbiota, many controversies and gaps remain, including the unclear mechanisms by which dietary structure and nutritional interventions specifically influence PCOS. This review aims to summarize the interaction between PCOS and gut microbiota, explore the role of diet in modulating gut microbiota and improving the pathological state of PCOS, and evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of probiotics, high-fat diets, and ketogenic diets on PCOS. Ultimately, it looks forward to personalized nutritional treatment strategies based on gut microbiota and future research directions, providing new insights into the treatment of PCOS.
Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Gut Microbiota, high-fat diets, ketogenic diets, Traditional Chinese Medicine
Received: 07 Jul 2025; Accepted: 10 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhu, Chen, He, Zhang, Li and Kuang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shuangquan Zhu, 785421003@qq.com
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