Unraveling Natural Products’ Role in Osteoarthritis Management—An Overview

Abstract

The natural process of aging gradually causes changes in living organisms, leading to the deterioration of organs, tissues, and cells. In the case of osteoarthritis (OA), the degradation of cartilage is a result of both mechanical stress and biochemical factors. Natural products have already been evaluated for their potential role in the prevention and treatment of OA, providing a safe and effective adjunctive therapeutic approach. This review aimed to assess the therapeutic potential of natural products and their derivatives in osteoarthritis via a systematic search of literature after 2008, including in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and animal models, along with clinical trials and meta-analysis. Overall, 170 papers were obtained and screened. Here, we presented findings referring to the preventative and therapeutic potential of 17 natural products and 14 naturally occurring compounds, underlining, when available, the mechanisms implicated. The nature of OA calls to initially focus on the management of symptoms, and, in that context, several naturally occurring compounds have been utilized. Underlying a global need for more sustainable natural sources for treatment, the evidence supporting their chondroprotective potential is still building up. However, arriving at that kind of solution requires more clinical research, targeting the implications of long-term treatment, adverse effects, and epigenetic implications.

The Implication of Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidants in Knee Osteoarthritis

“…Various ROS have been identified as relevant in KOA [ 227 ], thus being potential targets for prevention and/or therapeutic purposes. In this regard, a large amount of research has been performed, resulting in exciting findings, but without being systematized.…”

The Sorbus spp.—Underutilised Plants for Foods and Nutraceuticals: Review on Polyphenolic Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Potential

“…It is evident that among phytochemicals and other nutrients, polyphenolic compounds and ascorbic acid may be considered as the most valuable health beneficial constituents, which have been reported in various anatomical parts of Sorbus spp. The polyphenolics, which may influence the colour and flavour, have demonstrated antioxidant [54,81], antidiabetic [11,82] anti-hyperlipidemic [83], anti-inflammatory [84], antimicrobial [85], anticancer [86,87] antiviral [67], antifungal [79], antitumoral [88], anti-periodontal [89], and anti-osteoarthritis [90] effects, as well as vasoprotective [84], neuroprotective [26,91,92], cardioprotective [36], hepatoprotective [7], properties and COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) inhibitory [93] activities. Many of these activities are correlated to antioxidant capacity of bioactive compounds, which at cellular level may neutralize excessive reactive oxygen species, and thereby protect important biomolecules in the conditions of oxidative stress, which can cause cellular injury and development of chronic diseases.…”

Exploring the 2′-Hydroxy-Chalcone Framework for the Development of Dual Antioxidant and Soybean Lipoxygenase Inhibitory Agents

“…There is an increased interest of using antioxidants for medicinal purposes in the recent years, as it is widely accepted that free radicals play a crucial role in many pathological conditions such as inflammation, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders [ 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ]. Moreover, several nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents have been reported to act either as inhibitors of free radical production or as radical scavengers [ 59 ].…”