Anti-inflammatory natural products

Chronic inflammation is now widely accepted to contribute to diseases such as asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, metabolic syndrome, neurodegenerative diseases and rheumatic conditions. Most currently available anti-inflammatory drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anti-inflammatory steroids have limitations associated with side effects and cost. Consequently, there is continued focus on plant-derived natural products to treat inflammatory disorders. This chapter explores the pharmacological actions of some naturally occurring, alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenes, which have shown promising benefits in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models reflecting the pathologies of inflammatory diseases. Due to their chemical diversity and known mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action, further clinical investigations on these natural products may result in the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents with minimal side effects. Natural products like the antimalarial artemisinin can be re-purposed as an anti-inflammatory drug.