Possibilities of Plant Preparations Use for Collagen Structure and Metabolism Disturbances Correction: Modern State of Problem

Abstract

The review summarizes information on possibilities of plant preparations use for collagen structure and metabolism disturbances correction. Biologically active compounds of plant origin can both stimulate and inhibit the biosynthesis of various types collagens, accelerate or slower down their catabolism, regulate the activity of enzymes involved in the collagen's metabolism. Most of the studied compounds realize their effects simultaneously by several mechanisms. Among them, the most common are the direct influence of the substance on the processes of collagen genes expression and indirect influence via TGF-beta1- pathway. In addition, a fairly common are effects on collagen synthesis by changing organism's pools of free amino acids (as the starting compounds for this protein synthesis) and by regulation of hydroxylases (performing collagen post-translational modifications and crosslinking). Besides TGF-beta1 others cytokines can also be involved in the processes of collagen metabolism regulation by compounds of plant origin. In particular, this is characteristic of triterpenes and phytoestrogens. Such a variety of methods for collagens metabolism regulation creates a wide range of possibilities for developing new preparations based on extracts or pure plant compounds able to correct connective tissue collagen structure and metabolic disorders with minimal adverse effects. Fundamentally different possibilities for the influence of plant organisms on collagens are opened with the use of genetically modified plants. Recombinant collagens allow to obtain proteins with new programmed features, making it possible to synthesize proteins with predetermined properties for medical use.