Matos Melanie S, Anastácio José D, Nunes Dos Santos Cláudia
Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (iBET), Apartado 12, 2781-901 Oeiras, Portugal.
Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal.
Pharmaceutics. 2021 Jun 30;13(7):991. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070991.
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.
炎症是一个关键且复杂的过程，它能在有害刺激后重新建立生理状态。在病理状态下，炎症状态可能持续存在，导致慢性炎症并造成组织损伤。倍半萜内酯（SLs）是由一大类高度生物活性的植物次生代谢产物组成，其特征是具有15碳骨架结构。近年来，由于SLs对人类健康具有广泛的有益生物活性，人们对其兴趣日益增加。这些化合物的抗炎潜力源于它们能够靶向和抑制参与多种炎症途径的各种关键促炎分子，并预防或减少对组织的炎症损伤。过去几年，关于SLs抗炎机制的研究蓬勃发展，使用计算机模拟、体外和体内试验对来自不同植物的众多化合物进行了研究。除了它们的抗炎潜力外，还对它们的细胞毒性、构效关系和药代动力学进行了研究。本综述旨在收集有关富含SL的提取物和纯SLs抗炎潜力的最相关结果和见解，重点关注它们在不同炎症途径和不同分子参与者中的作用。
