Nanotechnology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, AB T6G 2A3, Canada.
Alberta Respiratory Centre, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E1, Canada.
Molecules. 2022 Apr 11;27(8):2450. doi: 10.3390/molecules27082450.
Sesquiterpenes (SQs) are volatile compounds made by plants, insects, and marine organisms. SQ have a large range of biological properties and are potent inhibitors and modulators of inflammation, targeting specific components of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway and nitric oxide (NO) generation. Because SQs can be isolated from over 1600 genera and 2500 species grown worldwide, they are an attractive source of phytochemical therapeutics. The chemical structure and biosynthesis of SQs is complex, and the SQ scaffold represents extraordinary structural variety consisting of both acyclic and cyclic (mono, bi, tri, and tetracyclic) compounds. These structures can be decorated with a diverse range of functional groups and substituents, generating many stereospecific configurations. In this review, the effect of SQs on inflammation will be discussed in the context of their complex chemistry. Because inflammation is a multifactorial process, we focus on specific aspects of inflammation: the inhibition of NF-kB signaling, disruption of NO production and modulation of dendritic cells, mast cells, and monocytes. Although the molecular targets of SQs are varied, we discuss how these pathways may mediate the effects of SQs on inflammation.
倍半萜（Sesquiterpenes，SQ）是植物、昆虫和海洋生物产生的挥发性化合物。SQ 具有广泛的生物特性，是炎症的有效抑制剂和调节剂，可靶向核因子-κB（nuclear factor-kappaB，NF-κB）信号通路和一氧化氮（nitric oxide，NO）生成的特定成分。由于 SQ 可以从全球范围内的超过 1600 个属和 2500 个种的植物中分离出来，因此它们是植物化学治疗剂的有吸引力的来源。SQ 的化学结构和生物合成非常复杂，SQ 支架代表了非凡的结构多样性，包括无环和环（单、双、三、四环）化合物。这些结构可以用各种不同的官能团和取代基进行修饰，产生许多立体特异性的构型。在这篇综述中，我们将根据 SQ 的复杂化学结构来讨论它们对炎症的影响。由于炎症是一个多因素的过程，我们专注于炎症的特定方面：NF-κB 信号的抑制、NO 产生的中断以及树突状细胞、肥大细胞和单核细胞的调节。尽管 SQ 的分子靶标各不相同，但我们讨论了这些途径如何介导 SQ 对炎症的影响。
