Title:Anti-Inflammatory Iridoids of Botanical Origin
VOLUME: 19 ISSUE: 14
Author(s): A. Viljoen, N. Mncwangi and I. Vermaak
Affiliation:Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
Keywords:Anti-inflammatory, botanical, inflammation, iridoid, natural products, NSAIDs
Abstract:Inflammation is a manifestation of a wide range of disorders which include; arthritis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease,
inflammatory bowel syndrome, physical injury and infection amongst many others. Common treatment modalities are usually nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, paracetamol, indomethacin and ibuprofen as well as corticosteroids such as
prednisone. These however, may be associated with a host of side effects due to non-selectivity for cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes
involved in inflammation and those with selectivity may be highly priced. Thus, there is a continuing search for safe and effective antiinflammatory
molecules from natural sources. Research has confirmed that iridoids exhibit promising anti-inflammatory activity which
may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammation. Iridoids are secondary metabolites present in various plants, especially in species
belonging to the Apocynaceae, Lamiaceae, Loganiaceae, Rubiaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Verbenaceae families. Many of these
ethnobotanicals have an illustrious history of traditional use alluding to their use to treat inflammation. Although iridoids exhibit a wide
range of pharmacological activities such as cardiovascular, hepatoprotection, hypoglycaemic, antimutagenic, antispasmodic, anti-tumour,
antiviral, immunomodulation and purgative effects this review will acutely focus on their anti-inflammatory properties. The paper aims to
present a summary for the most prominent iridoid-containing plants for which anti-inflammatory activity has been demonstrated in vitro
and / or in vivo.
