REVIEW article
Front. Nat. Prod.
Sec. Biological Activities of Natural Products
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fntpr.2025.1593684
This article is part of the Research TopicBridging Traditional and Modern Medicine: The Role of Botanicals in HealthcareView all 4 articles
Insights into the role of Nrf2 in vitiligo pathogenesis: A target for herbal medicine
Provisionally accepted
Abdel Qawasmeh1*
Mohammad Qaisiya1Areej Ishnaiwer2Dana Khdour2
Shoroq Shawar2Seema Fallah1Duha Hashlamon1Hanadi Sinokrot1Alaa Kharaiwesh1- 1Collage of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Hebron University, Hebron, Palestine, Hebron, Palestine
- 2Collage of Graduate Studies, Hebron University, Hebron, Palesitne, Hebron, Palestine
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Vitiligo (skin depigmentation) affects approximately 2% of the global population. It is characterized by a decrease in the number of pigment-forming cells known as melanocytes in the skin. Vitiligo is classified according to its extent and distribution into segmental (affecting one side of the body) and non-segmental (affecting both sides of the body). Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease characterized by complex and multifactorial genetic and non-genetic factors. The genetic factors are related to gene defects on HLA regions that code the histocompatibility complex, creating autoimmune response. Nongenetic factors include the exposure of melanocytes to oxidative stress and environmental factors. Conventional therapies include corticosteroids, immunomodulators, vitamins, phototherapy, surgery, and laser therapy. The use of complementary medicines such as plants, their extracts, and natural compounds in managing vitiligo has consistently been shown in many studies to be effective in the management and treatment of vitiligo. This review summarizes the most recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of vitiligo, with an emphasis on the role of the Nrf2 pathway machinery and the effectiveness of herbal medicines and their extracts in vitiligo management and treatment. Plants such as Ginkgo biloba, Olea europaea, Cucumis melo, Camellia sinensis, and Allium sativum exhibit activity against vitiligo. The possible mechanisms by which these plants act are summarized in this review.
Keywords: Vitiligo, ROS, Nrf2 pathway, er stress, HO-1, HLA, Herbal plants, Ginkgo
Received: 17 Mar 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qawasmeh, Qaisiya, Ishnaiwer, Khdour, Shawar, Fallah, Hashlamon, Sinokrot and Kharaiwesh. 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: Abdel Qawasmeh, Collage of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Hebron University, Hebron, Palestine, Hebron, Palestine
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.