Bioactive Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements in Neurological and Brain DiseasePrevention and Therapy
2015, Pages 3–15
Chapter 1 – Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Botanical Extracts Contribute to Their Protective Effects in Brain Edema in Cerebral Ischemia
Abstract
Stroke
is one of the leading causes of death and adult disability. It occurs
as a result of an interruption or reduction of blood flow to the brain.
Neural death and brain edema are major consequences of stroke, and
inflammation plays a key role in aggravating cerebral damage following
stroke. Brain edema, if left unresolved, is a major cause of death in
stroke patients. A role of inflammation has been hypothesized to
contribute to the pathogenesis of cytotoxic brain edema in cerebral
ischemia. In addition, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines may also
damage the endothelial cells and the neurovascular unit, contributing
to a leaky blood–brain barrier, which may result in vasogenic edema in
the continued presence of the existing cytotoxic edema. Several
botanical extracts possess anti-inflammatory properties and thus have
been examined for their efficacy to reduce such damage. Although the
bioactive components in an extract that exert such a protective effect
are not always known, polyphenols, saponins, and alkaloids have all been
demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this
article is to review the current literature on the contribution of
proinflammatory proteins, including cytokines and chemokines, to cell
swelling and brain edema in cerebral ischemia. In addition, the
potential of botanical extracts to reduce such neural damage will be
critically reviewed.
Keywords
- stroke;
- edema;
- cytokine;
- herbal;
- polyphenol
Acknowledgments
The
author was supported in part by a Beltsville Human Nutrition Research
Center, United States Department of Agriculture–initiated CRADA with the
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
