The Use of Nutraceuticals to Counteract Atherosclerosis: The Role of the Notch Pathway

Abstract

Despite the currently available pharmacotherapies, today, thirty percent of worldwide deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), whose primary cause is atherosclerosis, an inflammatory disorder characterized by the buildup of lipid deposits on the inside of arteries. Multiple cellular signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in the processes underlying atherosclerosis, and evidence has been accumulating for the crucial role of Notch receptors in regulating the functions of the diverse cell types involved in atherosclerosis onset and progression. Several classes of nutraceuticals have potential benefits for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis and CVDs, some of which could in part be due to their ability to modulate the Notch pathway. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the role of Notch in vascular health and its modulation by nutraceuticals for the prevention of atherosclerosis and/or treatment of related CVDs.

Pathophysiology of atherosclerosis: Association of risk factors and treatment strategies using plant‐based bioactive compounds

“…Flavonoids are present in many fruits, vegetables, barks, grains, roots, sepals, stems, wine, and tea and are the most plenteous polyphenolic compounds in foods of plant origin, representing the second largest polyphenolic group in human diet (Rees, Dodd, & Spencer, 2018;Rehman, Ali, Ali, & Akash, 2019;Rehman, Chohan, Chohan, Waheed, Gilani, & Akash, 2019;Rehman, Munawar, et al, 2020;Rehman, Saeed, Munawar, & Akash, 2018;Vasanthi, ShriShriMal, & Das, 2012). According to an estimate, daily dietary intake of flavonoids per person is one gram which is greater than the all other known dietary antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E (100 mg/day) (Aquila et al, 2019;Scalbert, Manach, Morand, Rémésy, & Jiménez, 2005). Flavonoids have a 15-carbon skeleton (C6-C3-C6) that is arranged in two phenyl rings and one hetero- anthocyanidins (in red wine and colored berries) (Grassi, Desideri, & Ferri, 2010;Mozaffarian & Wu, 2018;Scalbert & Williamson, 2000).…”

“…Berberine (BBR) is a quaternary ammonium salt and belongs to protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids (Aquila et al., 2019). BBR is a bioactive compound which is discovered in many plants such as golden seal, Chinese goldthread, European barberry, Phellodendron, and tree turmeric.…”

“…Treatment of ECD, reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions, antihypertensive, antiplatelet, vasodilatory actions, reduction in cholesterol synthesis and enhanced insulin sensitivity are therapeutic potentials of flavonoids which render its effective role in the treatment of atherosclerosis(Aquila et al, 2019). Flavonoids can act as radical scavengers, hydrogen donating antioxidants, and oxygen quenchers, therefore, they can stimulate endogenous antioxidants inhibiting ROS formation, and hence, cell death(Gross, 2004;Mahmoud, Hernández Bautista, Sandhu, & Hussein, 2019).…”

Antiatherosclerosis Properties of Total Saponins of Garlic in Rats

“…Increasing evidence supporting diet plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of AS [2]. Meanwhile, with the spread of complementary and alternative medicine, the functional food has been accepted because of its diversity, easy access, safety, and relatively low cost [3]. erefore, it is essential to investigate the functional food with antiatherosclerosis.…”

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“…Atherosclerosis is caused by an excessive accumulation of oxidized low-density lipoproteins (ox-LDLs) in the vascular intima, which is followed by plaque formation (Aquila et al, 2019;Provenzano et al, 2019;Ramel et al, 2019). Atherosclerosis is an independent risk factor for coronary stenosis (Bernelli et al, 2020).…”