PLANT CHEMICALS
Many plant chemicals are known to reduce inflammation, including the omega-3 essential oils, which can also be derived from marine sources. Other plant chemicals, which are also known as phytochemicals, that are known to reduce inflammation include carotenoids and catechins, which belong to the plant chemical family known as bioflavinoids bioflavinoids.
EFFECTS OF PHYTOCHEMICALS
The medicinal effects of plant chemicals are referred to as phyotherapy. The various plant chemicals found in plant and herbal sources all have different properties as they go about their business of reducing inflammation. For instance, spice components, such as curcurmin, turmeric, and capsaicin from red pepper reduce inflammation by influencing arachidonic acid metabolism and also the secretion of lysosomal enzymes by macrophages. Curcumin and capsaicin also inhibited the secretion of collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase demonstrating that they can control the release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as eicosanoids.
Cytokines are chemicals that modulate the immune response. High levels of cytokines cause many of the detrimental consequences in autoimmune disease. Many plant chemicals have effects on at least one of the following cytokines: interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interferon (IFN). Herbs that reduce or modulate the secretion of one or more of these cytokines include Acalypha wilkesiana, Acanthopanax gracilisylus, Allium sativum (garlic), curcurmin, Echinacea purpurea, Grifola frondosa, Panax ginseng, Olygala tunuifolia, Silybum marianum (milk thistle), Tinospora cordifolia, Uncaria tomentosa, and Withania somnifera. |
