Herbal antioxidants in ischaemic heart disease.

Abstract

Herbal antioxidants have gained increasing attention in the prevention and treatment of ischaemic heart disease. Believed to have excellent free radical scavenging activity and relatively few adverse effects, they have been shown to be effective in attenuating the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, diminishing the progression of atherosclerosis and mitigating the oxidative damage resulting from myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion injury. Scientific evidence from basic and clinical studies offer the solid base supporting their use as supplements and treatment in the clinical field. Furthermore, recent studies suggest some of these herbs may have potential use in the acute treatment of cardiovascular emergencies such as myocardial infarction and stroke. In this chapter, we introduce several herbal antioxidants currently popular and available over-the-counter, and discuss in detail their pharmacological properties and potential applications in the prevention and treatment of ischaemic heart disease.