Modulation of interleukin expression by medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites: A systematic review on anti-asthmatic and immunopharmacological mechanisms

Gopalsamy Rajiv Gandhi; Gabriel Campos de Sousa Leão; Valdete Kaliane da Silva Calisto; Alan Bruno Silva Vasconcelos; Maria Luiza Doria Almeida; Jullyana de Souza Siqueira Quintans; Emiliano Barreto; Narendra Narain; Lucindo José Quintans Júnior; Ricardo Queiroz Gurgel

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153229

Modulation of interleukin expression by medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites: A systematic review on anti-asthmatic and immunopharmacological mechanisms

Phytomedicine. 2020 Apr 22:70:153229. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153229. Online ahead of print.

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil.
² Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000, Sergipe, Brazil.
³ Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, 49.100-000, Sergipe, Brazil.
⁴ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil; Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000, Sergipe, Brazil.
⁵ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil.
⁶ Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, 57.072-900 Alagoas, Brazil.
⁷ Laboratory of Flavor and Chromatographic Analysis, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Aracaju, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil.
⁸ Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000 Sergipe, Brazil; Department of Medicine, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n, Cidade Nova, Aracaju, 49.100-000, Sergipe, Brazil. Electronic address: ricardoqgurgel@gmail.com.

PMID: 32361292
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2020.153229

Abstract

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic inflammatory conditions of the lungs in modern society. Asthma is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness and remodeling of the airways, with typical symptoms of cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Interleukins (IL) play an integral role in its inflammatory pathogenesis. Medicinal herbs and secondary metabolites are gaining considerable attention due to their potential therapeutic role and pharmacological mechanisms as adjunct tools to synthetic bronchodilator drugs.

Purpose: To systematically review the literature on the use of single or mixed plants extracts therapy in vivo experimental systems for asthma, emphasizing their regulations on IL production to improve lung.

Methods: Literature searches were performed on PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. All articles in English were extracted from 1999 up to September 2019, assessed critically for data extraction. Studies investigating the effectiveness and safety of plant extracts administered; inflammatory cell count, immunoglobulin E (IgE) production and regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine and T helper (Th) 1 and Th2-driven cytokine expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung of asthmatic animals were included.

Results: Four hundred and eighteen publications were identified and 51 met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six studies described bioactive compounds from plant extracts. The most frequent immunopharmacological mechanisms described included reduction in IgE and eosinophilic recruitment, decreased mucus hypersecretion and airway hyperreactivity, enhancement of the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio, suppression of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) and reversal of structural alterations.

Conclusion: Plant extract therapies have potential control activities on asthma symptoms by modulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory (IL-1β, IL-8), Th17 (IL-17), anti-inflammatory (IL-10, IL-23, IL-31, IL-33), Th1 (IL-2, IL-12) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13) cytokines, reducing the level of biomarkers of airway inflammation.

Keywords: Airway hyperresponsiveness; Asthma; Cytokine; Interleukin; Medicinal plants.

Publication types

Review