Review of the use of botanicals for epilepsy in complementary medical systems — Traditional Chinese Medicine

• The antiepileptic properties in botanical trails were mainly examined in animals.
• The clinical evidence of use and safety of botanicals in TCM is insufficient.
• More clinical trials on botanicals in TCM are encouraged.

In traditional Chinese medicine, botanical remedies have been used for centuries to treat seizures. This review aimed to summarize the botanicals that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat epilepsy. We searched Chinese online databases to determine the botanicals used for epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine and identified articles using a preset search syntax and inclusion criteria of each botanical in the PubMed database to explore their potential mechanisms. Twenty-three botanicals were identified to treat epilepsy in traditional Chinese medicine. The pharmacological mechanisms of each botanical related to antiepileptic activity, which were mainly examined in animal models, were reviewed. We discuss the use and current trends of botanical treatments in China and highlight the limitations of botanical epilepsy treatments. A substantial number of these types of botanicals would be good candidates for the development of novel AEDs. More rigorous clinical trials of botanicals in traditional Chinese medicine for epilepsy treatment are encouraged in the future.This article is part of a Special Issue entitled “Botanicals for Epilepsy”.