Sesquiterpene Lactones: Promising Natural Compounds to Fight Inflammation

Inflammation is a crucial and complex process that reestablishes the physiological state after a noxious stimulus. In pathological conditions the inflammatory state may persist, leading to chronic inflammation and causing tissue damage. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are composed of a large and divers...

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Published inPharmaceutics Vol. 13; no. 7; p. 991
Main Authors Matos, Melanie S., Anastácio, José D., Nunes dos Santos, Cláudia
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 30.06.2021
MDPI
Subjects
anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory agents
Arthritis
Binding sites
bioactivity
Biological activity
Cytokines
Edema
Enzymes
eudesmanolides
Gene expression
germacranolides
Granulomas
guaianolides
Inflammation
Nitric oxide
NMR
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Oral administration
Review
sesquiterpene lactone-rich natural extracts
Tumor necrosis factor-TNF
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Summary:Inflammation is a crucial and complex process that reestablishes the physiological state after a noxious stimulus. In pathological conditions the inflammatory state may persist, leading to chronic inflammation and causing tissue damage. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are composed of a large and diverse group of highly bioactive plant secondary metabolites, characterized by a 15-carbon backbone structure. In recent years, the interest in SLs has risen due to their vast array of biological activities beneficial for human health. The anti-inflammatory potential of these compounds results from their ability to target and inhibit various key pro-inflammatory molecules enrolled in diverse inflammatory pathways, and prevent or reduce the inflammatory damage on tissues. Research on the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of SLs has thrived over the last years, and numerous compounds from diverse plants have been studied, using in silico, in vitro, and in vivo assays. Besides their anti-inflammatory potential, their cytotoxicity, structure–activity relationships, and pharmacokinetics have been investigated. This review aims to gather the most relevant results and insights concerning the anti-inflammatory potential of SL-rich extracts and pure SLs, focusing on their effects in different inflammatory pathways and on different molecular players.
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These authors contributed equally to this work.
ISSN:1999-4923
1999-4923
DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics13070991