The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Various Diseases and Anti‐inflammatory Therapies Containing Natural Products

Abstract

Chronic inflammation represents a long-term reaction of the body's immune system to noxious stimuli. Such a sustained inflammatory response sometimes results in lasting damage to healthy tissues and organs. In fact, chronic inflammation is implicated in the development and progression of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancers. Targeting nonresolving inflammation thus provides new opportunities for treating relevant diseases. In this review, we will go over several chronic inflammation-associated diseases first with emphasis on the role of inflammation in their pathogenesis. Then, we will summarize a number of natural products that exhibit therapeutic effects against those diseases by acting on different markers in the inflammatory response. We envision that natural products will remain a rich resource for the discovery of new drugs treating diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

The Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling–Claisen Rearrangement–Cross-Metathesis Approach to Prenylated Isoflavones

“…3-(3-Allyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-7-(methoxymethoxy)-4Hchromen-4-one (19). Following the general procedure, 18 (400 mg, 1.00 mmol) was converted to General Procedure for the Synthesis of 3′-Allyl-4′-methoxyisoflavones 20 and 26.…”

“…Both are rich sources of bioactive secondary metabolites, among which isoflavonoids stand out. Isoflavonoids share a 3-arylchromone skeleton − and are often phytoestrogens, i.e., they show biological activity similar to estrogen, , apart from other bioactivities, , such as anti-inflammatory activity, anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, and activity against neurodegenerative diseases. − The estrogenic activity of isoflavones in many edible plants, such as soybeans, has been linked to beneficial as well as detrimental effects on human health …”

Polydatin: Pharmacological Mechanisms, Therapeutic Targets, Biological Activities, and Health Benefits

“…Such inflammatory mediators and interconnected pathways are mainly involved in the underlying mechanisms of the inflammatory state [ 42 ]. Several studies show that phytochemicals are multi-target agents that effectively represent their anti-inflammatory activities through underlying cellular mechanisms against different diseases associated with chronic inflammation [ 43 ]. In the phytochemical context, it has been reported that polydatin is a potent anti-inflammatory plant secondary metabolite [ 44 ], beneficially promoting miR-200a expression to regulate the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1)/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant axis.…”

Inhibitory Effects of Cucurbitane-Type Triterpenoids from Momordica charantia Fruit on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Production in Bone Marrow-Derived Dendritic Cells

“…It is usually beneficial for the host to initiate healing and promote tissue recovery. Once acute inflammation fails to resolve the damage, inflammation will progress to the chronic stage—a low-grade inflammation that persists for weeks, months, or even years [ 3 ]. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health.…”

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks chronic diseases as the greatest threat to human health. Chronic inflammation is related to many human diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, asthma, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer [ 3 , 4 ].…”