Table 3.
Examples of herbs that target biochemical mediators of inflammation
| Herb | Origin | Active compound(s) | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1. Herbs targeting PLA2, COX-2, LOX, PGE2 and/or LTB4 | |||
| Allium cepa | Multiple | Quercetin | 6 |
| Aralia cordata | Korea | 7-oxosandaracopimaric acid | 164 |
| Boswellia serrata | India | Boswellic acid | 20, 165 |
| Camellia sinensis | China | Epigallocatechin-3-gallate | 166 |
| Curcuma longa | China/India | Curcumin | 10, 12 |
| Gentiana macrophylla | China | 19 | |
| Ocimum sanctum | India | Ursolic acid | 60 |
| Sinomenium acutum | China | Sinomenine | 167 |
| Tripterygium wilfordii | China | Triptolide, triptonide and celastrol | 8, 168, 169 |
| Turpinia arguta | China | Flavonoids | 7 |
| Vitis vinifera | Multiple | Resveratrol | 62, 170 |
| Zingiber officinale | China/India | Gingerol and Zingerone | 11 |
| 1.2. Herbs targeting MMPs and/or TIMPs | |||
| Achyranthes bidentata | China | Oleanolic acid | 171 |
| Camellia sinensis | China | Epigallocatechin-3-gallate | 13 |
| Cibotium barametz | Multiple | Cibotinoside, cyathenosin A | 172 |
| Magnolia officinalis | Asia | Magnolol | 173 |
| Ocimum sanctum | India | Ursolic acid | 4, 61 |
| Paeonia lactiflora | China | Paeoniflorin | 9 |
| Sinomenium acutum | China | Sinomenine | 174 |
| Triphala guggulu | India | Guggulsterone, Guggulsterol | 75 |
| 1.3. Herbs targeting NO, iNOS and/or SOD | |||
| Brassica sp. | Multiple | Indole-3-carbinol | 17 |
| Celastrus aculeatus | China | Celastrol | 18 |
| Cynodon dactylon | India | ----37 | 175 |
| Helenium microcephalum | Multiple | Bis(helenalinyl)glutarate | 176 |
| Sinomenium acutum | China | Sinomenine | 167 |
| Trewia polycarpa | India | -------- | 5 |
Herbs mentioned in bold font were studied in the adjuvant arthritis (AA) model. Active compound identified in each herbal extract is listed. Some of these compounds have been tested for their specific inhibitory activity.