Safety considerations for natural products with adaptogenic and immunomodulating activities

Natural products with claimed adaptogenic and/or immunomodulatory effects are widely used in traditional medicine systems across Eurasia. These include herbal remedies (e.g., Panax ginseng), fungi (e.g., Ganoderma lucidum), and animal-derived substances (e.g., propolis from Apis mellifera). Despite their popularity, the safety profiles of these products—particularly concerning adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)—remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to assess the safety profiles of adaptogenic and immunomodulatory natural products through a scoping review of published human studies and an analysis of individual case safety reports (ICSRs) from the WHO-UMC VigiBase database.