Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad 500037, India.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research-Raebareli, Lucknow 226020, India.
Chem Res Toxicol. 2022 Jun 20;35(6):916-934. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00023. Epub 2022 May 16.
Arsenic toxicity is a major concern due to its deleterious consequences for human health. Rapid industrialization also has weakened the quality of the environment by introducing pollutants that may disrupt balanced ecosystems, adversely and irreversibly impacting humans, plants, and animals. Arsenic, an important toxicant among all environmental hazards, can lead to several detrimental effects on cells and organs, impacting the overall quality of life. Nevertheless, arsenic also has a rich history as a chemotherapeutic agent used in ancient days for the treatment of diseases such as malaria, cancer, plague, and syphilis when other chemotherapeutic agents were yet to be discovered. Arsenicosis-mediated disorders remain a serious problem due to the lack of effective therapeutic options. Initially, chelation therapy was used to metabolically eliminate arsenic by forming a complex, but adverse effects limited their pharmacological use. More recently, plant-based products have been found to provide significant relief from the toxic effects of arsenic poisoning. They act by different mechanisms affecting various cellular processes. Phytoconstituents such as curcumin, quercetin, diallyl trisulfide, thymoquinone, and others act via various molecular pathways, primarily by attenuating oxidative damage, membrane damage, DNA damage, and proteinopathies. Nonetheless, most of the phytochemicals reviewed here protect against the adverse effects of metal or metalloid exposure, supporting their consideration as alternatives to chelation therapy. These agents, if used prophylactically and in conjunction with other chemotherapeutic agents, may provide an effective approach for management of arsenic toxicity. In a few instances, such strategies like coadministration of phytochemicals with a known chelating agent have led to more pronounced elimination of arsenic from the body with lesser off-site adverse effects. This is possible because combination treatment ensures the use of a reduced dose of chelating agent with a phytochemical without compromising treatment. Thus, these therapies are more practical than conventional therapeutic agents in ameliorating arsenic-mediated toxicity. This review summarizes the potential of phytochemicals in alleviating arsenic toxicity on the basis of available experimental and clinical evidence.
砷毒性是一个主要关注点，因为它对人类健康有有害影响。快速工业化也削弱了环境质量，引入了可能破坏生态平衡的污染物，对人类、植物和动物产生不利和不可逆转的影响。砷是所有环境危害中的一种重要有毒物质，会对细胞和器官造成多种有害影响，影响整体生活质量。然而，砷在古代也有丰富的历史，作为一种化疗药物，用于治疗疟疾、癌症、瘟疫和梅毒等疾病，当时还没有发现其他化疗药物。由于缺乏有效的治疗选择，砷中毒引起的疾病仍然是一个严重的问题。最初，螯合疗法被用于通过形成复合物来代谢消除砷，但不良反应限制了它们的药理学用途。最近，人们发现植物源性产品可以为砷中毒的毒性作用提供显著缓解。它们通过不同的机制影响各种细胞过程。姜黄素、槲皮素、二烯丙基三硫化物、胸腺醌和其他植物化合物通过不同的分子途径发挥作用，主要通过减轻氧化损伤、膜损伤、DNA 损伤和蛋白病。然而，这里综述的大多数植物化学物质都可以防止金属或类金属暴露的不良影响，支持将它们作为螯合疗法的替代品。如果这些药物预防性使用并与其他化疗药物联合使用，可能为砷毒性管理提供一种有效的方法。在某些情况下，例如将植物化学物质与已知的螯合剂联合使用，可以更显著地从体内消除砷，同时减少非靶部位的不良反应。这是可能的，因为联合治疗确保了使用降低剂量的螯合剂与植物化学物质联合使用，而不会影响治疗效果。因此，这些疗法在缓解砷引起的毒性方面比传统治疗药物更实用。本综述根据现有实验和临床证据总结了植物化学物质缓解砷毒性的潜力。
