Medicinal plants and bioactive natural products as inhibitors of NLRP3 inflammasome

Abstract

The NLR family, pyrin domain‐containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that induces caspase‐1 activation and the downstream substrates involved with the processing and secretion of the pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and IL‐18 and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐ α). The NLRP3 inflammasome is activated by a wide range of danger signals that derive from metabolic dysregulation. Activation of this complex often involves the adaptor ASC and upstream sensors including NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRC4, AIM2, and pyrin, which are activated by different stimuli including infectious agents and changes in cell homeostasis. It has been shown that nutraceuticals and medicinal plants have antiinflammatory properties and could be used as complementary therapy in the treatment of several chronic diseases that are related to inflammation, for example, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Herb‐based medicine has demonstrated protective effects against NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Therefore, this review focuses on the effects of nutraceuticals and bioactive compounds derived from medicinal plants on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the possible mechanisms of action of these natural products. Thus, herb‐based, natural products/compounds can be considered novel, practical, and accessible agents in chronic inflammatory diseases by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Exploring the Use of Medicinal Plants and Their Bioactive Derivatives as Alveolar NLRP3 Inflammasome Regulators during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

“…There is growing appreciation of medicinal plants and their bioactive molecules in management of inflammatory response regulated by the NLRP3 inflammasome as excellently reviewed by several authors [160][161][162][163]. To date, only five studies [31][32][33][34][35] have explored the use of medicinal plants and/or their bioactive derivatives in the management of the inflammasome in M. tuberculosis infection models.…”

Inhibitory Role of Berberine, an Isoquinoline Alkaloid, on NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases

“…Further, the uncovering of the fact of the involvement of inflammasome function in common human pathologies has encouraged the basic and translational research on inflammasomes as a potential therapeutic target for several disorders [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Up until now, none of the drugs have received approval for its efficacy against the uncontrolled activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome [ 10 ].…”

“…Several plant-based phytocompounds have shown promising anti-inflammatory properties that make them potential candidates in complementary therapy against several chronic human pathologies caused by severe inflammation [ 10 , 11 ]. One such phytochemical is berberine (BRB).…”

“…One such phytochemical is berberine (BRB). BRB is an isoquinoline alkaloid usually isolated from a medicinal herb Rhizoma coptidis , which suppresses intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and pro-inflammatory responses by inhibiting several inflammation-associated signaling pathways [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Recently, BRB has been shown to exert its beneficial anti-inflammatory effect by modulating NLRP3 inflammasome expression and activity [ 10 , 12 ].…”

“…BRB is an isoquinoline alkaloid usually isolated from a medicinal herb Rhizoma coptidis , which suppresses intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and pro-inflammatory responses by inhibiting several inflammation-associated signaling pathways [ 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Recently, BRB has been shown to exert its beneficial anti-inflammatory effect by modulating NLRP3 inflammasome expression and activity [ 10 , 12 ]. Therefore, this review mainly aimed to provide recent evidence of the inhibitory role of BRB on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway alongside reported molecular mechanism(s).…”