Inflammatory process and molecular targets for anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals

Intense interest in nutraceuticals and their potential benefits has created the need to review the existing scientific information on their effect in preventing and managing inflammation that accompanies most chronic diseases. This article reviews the basic mechanisms of inflammation and the potential of 9 nutraceuticals to be effective as chronic disease preventive agents. Furthermore, the article emphasizes studies in which nutraceuticals are shown to be effective in preventing inflammation and mentions other molecular targets that can be of use in the future. The effects of the following nutraceuticals: alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid, curcumin, resveratrol, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, theaflavin, genistein, omega-3 fatty acids, and lycopene on reactive oxygen species scavenging ability, as well as proinflammatory targets, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, nuclear factor kappa B, cellular adhesion molecules, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), phospholipase A 2, and reactive oxygen species generating enzymes are discussed.