Polyherbal Gel Formulations for the Management of Mouth Ulcers: A Critical Review

Polyherbal gels have emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for the management of mouth ulcers due to their multifactorial pharmacological actions, improved patient compliance, and reduced adverse effects compared to conventional therapies. Mouth ulcers are characterized by complex pathological processes involving inflammation, oxidative stress, microbial imbalance, and delayed epithelial regeneration. Polyherbal gel formulations integrate multiple medicinal plant extracts within a suitable mucoadhesive base, enabling synergistic modulation of inflammatory mediators, enhancement of antioxidant defences, antimicrobial activity, and promotion of wound healing. Recent advances in network pharmacology and systems biology provide mechanistic insights into the multi-component, multi-target interactions of herbal constituents, validating the scientific rationale for polyherbal therapy. This review critically analyses the pathophysiology of mouth ulcers, selection of herbal components, formulation strategies, evaluation parameters, mechanistic evidence, and translational challenges associated with polyherbal mouth ulcer gels, highlighting current research gaps and future directions.