In high-altitude environments, where the low-pressure and hypoxic conditions prevail, the human body undergoes a series of severe metabolic dysfunctions and stress responses. These adverse circumstances are capable of inducing hypoxia-related damage in multiple organs, thereby not only accelerating the fatigue process but also markedly deteriorating health, reducing the quality of life, and diminishing labor productivity. Fatigue represents one of the most common physiological challenges encountered in high-altitude settings. In recent years, dietary supplements and associated natural products of medicinal and edible origin, such as Phyllanthus emblica, Rhodiola rosea, Lycium barbarum, Cistanche deserticola, and Panax ginseng, have attracted substantial interest. This is attributable to their specific anti-hypoxic fatigue properties, low toxicity, and diverse pharmacological activities. These natural substances, which are characterized by their complex chemical compositions, extensive therapeutic targets, and abundant resources, have a long-standing history and great promise in the prevention and treatment of plateau hypoxic fatigue (PHF), underscoring their substantial potential as medicinal-edible resources. This review commences with an overview of the pathogenesis of PHF and subsequently delves into the mechanisms, bioactive components, and clinical outcomes of medicinal-edible dietary supplements and their related natural products in counteracting PHF. The objective is to furnish a scientific basis and reference for the development and application of drugs, health foods, and functional foods aimed at PHF, thereby facilitating the practice and innovation of medicinal-edible strategies in high-altitude health preservation.

With the continuous development of drug delivery technology, natural polyphenol self-assembled drug delivery systems (DDS) have become a research focus due to their unique advantages. Polyphenols can not only serve as drugs themselves but also as components of self-assembled drug delivery systems, broadening their application in the field of drug delivery. This article reviews the mechanisms of interactions between polyphenols and other molecules, and analyzes the process of constructing drug delivery systems with polyphenols. At the same time, it deeply explores the multiple functions of polyphenol self-assembled complexes in drug delivery, such as enhancing drug efficacy, achieving precise targeted delivery, and overcoming biological barriers, highlighting their great potential in enhancing drug efficacy and reducing side effects. In addition, several advanced characterization and preparation techniques are introduced and discussed, which will help to deeply understand and evaluate the structure and performance of polyphenol self-assembled delivery systems, promoting their further development. Finally, the challenges and future intelligent manufacturing strategies of polyphenol self-assembled complexes are summarized.