DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF HERBAL GUMMIES CONTAINING LIQUORICE, CINNAMON, TURMERIC, AND VITEX FOR PCOS MANAGEMENT

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a highly prevalent endocrine-metabolic disorder affecting 6–20% of women of reproductive age, depending on diagnostic criteria. It is clinically characterized by hyperandrogenism, ovulatory dysfunction, and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), with excess ovarian androgen production recognized as a central pathological feature. Although PCOS frequently originates during adolescence, early detection remains challenging due to overlapping normal pubertal changes and heterogeneous clinical presentation. As a consequence, delayed diagnosis can lead to significant reproductive, metabolic, and psychological complications. Women with PCOS exhibit an increased risk of infertility, pregnancyinduced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus, indicating a lifelong impact on reproductive health. Metabolically, PCOS is associated with insulin resistance, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity, which together drive its cardiometabolic sequelae, including an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The complexity of PCOS pathogenesis is further compounded by the absence of universally accepted diagnostic criteria and variation in phenotypic expression across different ethnic and age groups. Current management strategies prioritize lifestyle modification, including structured exercise, weight reduction, and dietary interventions, as a crucial first-line therapy to improve metabolic and reproductive outcomes. Pharmacological treatments such as combined oral contraceptives, insulin sensitizers, and anti-androgens are employed based on clinical presentation. Early recognition, individualized treatment, and long-term follow-up are essential to mitigate disease progression and improve quality of life in women with PCOS.