Ethnopharmacological Potential of Aspilia africana for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases.

Ethnopharmacological Potential of Aspilia africana for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:8091047 Authors: Okello D, Lee J, Kang Y Abstract Inflammatory diseases are major health concerns affecting millions of people worldwide. Aspilia africana has been used for centuries by many African communities in the treatment of a wide range of health conditions, including inflammatory diseases, osteoporosis, rheumatic pains, and wounds. Analysis of the phytochemical composition of A. africana indicated that the plant is rich in a broad range of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, sterols, phenolic compounds, and glycosides. This explains the efficacy of the plant in treating inflammation-related diseases, as well as several other health conditions affecting different African communities. The mechanisms of action of the anti-inflammatory phytochemical compounds in A. africana include inhibition of a number of physiological processes involved in the inflammatory process and synthesis or action of proinflammatory enzymes. The phytochemicals enhance anti-inflammatory biological responses such as inhibition of a number of chemical mediators including histamine, prostanoids and kinins, 5-lipoxygenase. and cyclooxygenase and activation of phosphodiesterase and transcriptase. Currently used anti-inflammatory medications are associated with several di...
Source: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Tags: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Source Type: research