The Effect of Natural Plant Products in the Management of Autoimmune Diseases Along with Photodynamic Therapy

Due to the high prevalence and inefficiency of the already existing treatment of autoimmune diseases, researchers are investigating new treatment modalities for these diseases. One of the promising strategies to overcome the problems that arise from autoimmune disorders is light-driven therapies, especially photodynamic therapy. Light-activated molecules, known as photosensitizers, are the key molecules of this therapy and they produce reactive oxygen species to target and destroy problematic cells upon light irradiation. Because of its potential and working mechanism, photodynamic therapy has become promising for autoimmune diseases, too. Thus, numerous studies have investigated the role of photodynamic therapy in a wide range of autoimmune diseases. To minimize the potential side effects associated with existing synthetic photosensitizers, plants and their chemical compounds that can effectively absorb wavelengths between 350 and 700 nm represent promising candidates for enhancing the efficacy of photodynamic therapy. Furthermore, these compounds may exhibit a synergistic effect owing to their pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, thereby facilitating the treatment of autoimmune diseases while concurrently driving the photodynamic therapy mechanism to promote reactive oxygen species production. This review compiles all the scattered studies on photodynamic therapy involving plant extracts or phytocompounds used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. It also highlights the importance of using different herbal medicines, either alone or in combination, to improve the therapeutic outcomes of photodynamic therapy.