Inflammatory diseases natural products

Inflammatory (or exudative) diarrhea results from changes to the intestinal mucosa that damage absorption processes and lead to an increase in proteins and other products in the intestinal lumen with fluid retention. The presence of blood or fecal leukocytes in the stool is indicative of an inflammatory process. The diarrhea of inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis) is inflammatory in nature. 

Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase in the popularity and usage of natural products to enhance overall health. These nutraceuticals and functional foods modulate the function of various physiological systems including the immune system. By altering immunity, it is possible to augment an individual s ability to ward off infection, or suppress autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory diseases. Thus, the renaissance of herbal extracts as well as the increased consumption of other dietary components has afforded the public a relatively inexpensive way to self-medicate. 

Cytokines and antagonists (2—4), intercellular proteins produced by immune cells, play an important role in the regulation of immune responses. Cytokines are present in a variety of tissues under normal conditions. Through insufficient or excessive production, these macromolecules can mediate chronic inflammatory diseases. An inability to respond to cytokines, eg, interleukin 1 (IL-1) or interleukin 2 (IL-2), may lead to an immunosuppressive state, whereas over-production can result in severe shock, autoimmune disease, or immunopathological conditions, such as leukemia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Specific communications between immune cells are constantly modulated by naturally occurring inhibitors. 

Despite fhe problems, however, some of the natural preparations were effective in relieving fhe symptoms and at times even eliminating the disease. In fact, we know today fhat fhe number of pharmacologically active substances produced by nature is large and fhe spectrum of biological activities of natural products is extraordinarily broad for example, antimicrobial, antineoplastic, CNS-active, anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, etc., are only a few of the therapeutic classes of drugs from nature [7]. 

Natural products as activators of apoptosis and their implications in inflammatory diseases... 

---