ARTYKUŁ

Katarzyna Bojakowska, Jakub Bojakowski

Działanie przeciwzapalne flawonoidów
2005-11-16

Anti-inflammatory action of flavonoids. Flavonoids are known as substances with various pharmacological activity such as anticancer, anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory. In this review we focus on the anti-inflammatory action of flavonoids. This action is mediated by the inhibition of the arachidonic acid metabolizing enzymes COX/ LOX, similarly to non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. Several investigations demonstrated that certain flavonoids (especially flavonoids with less then two hydroxylic substitute in B ring) inhibit production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandin and nitrc oxide (NO) by down-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible NO synthase (iNOS). Scientist are hopeful that flavonoids would not reveal side effect which are typical for non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as complication from alimentary tract. In some situation chronic inflammation can lead to carcinogenesis, this can explain anti-cancer effects of flavonoids observed in some experiments. At this moment it should be stress that anti-inflammatory action, bioavabilty, cytotoxicity, pharmakokinetics and metabolism of flavonoides still requires investigation to characterize future of flavonoids as a adjuvant agent in anti-inflammatory therapy.