Natural Bioactive Compounds Targeting NADPH Oxidase Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, in both developed and developing countries. According to the WHO report, the morbidity and mortality caused by CVD will continue to rise with the estimation of death going up to 22.2 million in 2030. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induces endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling and mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in sustained oxidative stress and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Seven distinct members of the family have been identified of which four (namely, NOX1, 2, 4 and 5) may have cardiovascular functions. Currently, the treatment and management plan for patients with CVDs mainly depends on the drugs. However, prolonged use of prescribed drugs may cause adverse drug reactions. Therefore, it is crucial to find alternative treatment options with lesser adverse effects. Natural products have been gaining interest as complementary therapy for CVDs over the past decade due to their wide range of medicinal properties, including antioxidants. These might be due to their potent active ingredients, such as flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Numerous natural compounds have been demonstrated to have advantageous effects on cardiovascular disease via NADPH cascade. This review highlights the potential of natural products targeting NOX-derived ROS generation in treating CVDs. Emphasis is put on the activation of the oxidases, including upstream or downstream signalling events.

Protective Role of Natural Products in Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity.

Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic agent for the treatment of metastatic tumors, advanced bladder cancer and many other solid tumors. However, at higher doses, toxicities such as nephrotoxicity may appear. Cisplatin leads to DNA damage and subsequently renal cell death. Besides that, oxidative stress is also implicated as one of the main causes of nephrotoxicity. Several studies showed that numerous natural products: ginseng, curcumin, licorice, honey and pomegranate were able to reduce the oxidative stress by restoring the levels of antioxidant enzymes and also at the same time act as an anti-inflammatory agent. Furthermore, pre-treatment with vitamin supplementation, such as vitamin C, E and riboflavin markedly decreased serum urea and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes in the kidney even after cisplatin induction in cancer patients. These natural products possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties, and they can be safely used as a supplementary regime or combination therapy against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The present review focused on the protective role of a few natural products which is widely used in folk medicines in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.