Regulation of neuroinflammation by herbal medicine and its implications for neurodegenerative diseases. A focus on traditional medicines and flavonoids.
Herbal medicine has long been used to treat neural symptoms. Although the precise mechanisms of action of herbal drugs have yet to be determined, some of them have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and/or anti-oxidant effects in a variety of peripheral systems. Now, as increasing evidence indicates that neuroglia-derived chronic inflammatory responses play a pathological role in the central nervous system, anti-inflammatory herbal medicine and its constituents are being proved to be a potent neuroprotector against various brain pathologies. Structural diversity of medicinal herbs makes them valuable source of novel lead compounds against therapeutic targets that are newly discovered by genomics, proteomics, and high-throughput screening.
Suk
Kyoungho
K
Department of Pharmacology, Pain and Neural Injury Research Center, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea.
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005911:Gliosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D029001:Herbal Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005419:Flavonoids; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations