Equisetum arvense in Disorders Associated with Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Mechanisms, and Translational Potential

Equisetum arvense is traditionally used for urinary complaints, inflammation, and tissue repair. However, the links between its traditional uses, phytochemistry, disease-related mechanisms, and clinical evidence remain insufficiently integrated. This review addresses this gap through an oxidative stress- and inflammation-centered synthesis. Flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other horsetail constituents may exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by scavenging radicals, enhancing antioxidant defenses, and modulating NF-κB and MAPK signaling. Findings suggest potential applications across urinary, inflammatory, metabolic, and musculoskeletal disorders. Integrating traditional indications with experimental and clinical findings highlights differences in evidence maturity and identifies extract variability, uncertain constituent contributions, and limited clinical mechanistic validation as major translational barriers. E. arvense shows therapeutic potential, but supporting evidence is predominantly preclinical. Standardized preparations, targeted mechanistic studies, and rigorous clinical trials incorporating oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers are needed to establish efficacy, optimal dosing, and long-term safety. Literature was retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Relevant studies were screened and narratively evaluated according to evidence type, extract characterization, model relevance, and mechanistic support.