Anti-inflammatory effects of Myrtus communis L. (myrtle): experimental and clinical evidence with an immunological perspective

Myrtus communis L. (myrtle) is a medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine. Due to the broad range of therapeutic applications of its leaves, fruits, and flowers, it has gained increasing scientific attention particularly in recent years in experimental models and clinical trials. Accumulating evidence highlights its anti-inflammatory properties, alongside well-documented antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, providing a scientific basis for its traditional use. This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of the anti-inflammatory effects of M. communis based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. It systematically synthesizes the literature from past to present, while highlighting methodological limitations and unresolved gaps, particularly from an immunological perspective, with the aim of guiding future ethnopharmacological and translational research on M. communis. The plant parts utilized, extraction methods, routes of administration, and the experimental and clinical models employed in studies indexed in PubMed were systematically analyzed and compared. Regardless of these variables, the available evidence consistently demonstrates that myrtle exerts suppressive and preventive effects on inflammatory responses. However, the evaluation of inflammation in most studies has predominantly relied on histopathological assessments and indirect demonstration of anti-inflammatory activity through the measurement of antioxidant-related parameters. In contrast, investigations directly addressing key components of the immune system that play central roles in inflammatory processes remain relatively limited. Future studies employing standardized experimental approaches and incorporating immune-related endpoints are required to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of M. communis.