Traditional African Medicine as a source of biologically active substances inhibiting neuroinflammation

O Olajide; B Fiebich

doi:10.1055/s-0033-1351849

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Traditional African Medicine as a source of biologically active substances inhibiting neuroinflammation

O Olajide ¹, B Fiebich ²

¹Division of Pharmacy, School of Applied Sciences University of Huddersfield, Queensgate Huddersfield HD1 3DH United Kingdom
²Neurochemistry Research Laboratory Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy University of Freiburg Medical School Hauptstrasse 5 79104 Freiburg Germany

Abstract

Traditional Africa Medicine (TAM) refers to indigenous forms of healing that are practiced all over Africa. One of the most important forms of TAM is the use of herbal extracts for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Neuroinflammation has been shown to be a critical aspect of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Here we show that extracts and bioactive compounds obtained from African plants are able to inhibit neuroinflammatory processes. Our research has shown that cryptolepine, an alkaloid of the West African shrub, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl.) Schltr (Apocynaceae) inhibits neuroinflammation in lipopolysaccharide-(LPS)-activated microglia. This alkaloid has been shown to inhibit inflammatory mediator release from activated microglia through mechanisms involving NF-kB and p38 MAPK signalling. Cryptolepine also produced anti-neuroinflammatory actions in IL-1β-stimulated SK-N-SH neuronal cells. Other African plants which have been shown to exhibit varying degrees of inhibition of neuroinflammation are Anacardium occidentale, Bridelia ferruginea, Picralima nitida and Capsicum extract [1], [2]. The results presented in this talk provide a molecular basis for the potential of these African plants in neuroinflammation.

References:

[1] Olajide OA, Aderogba MA, Okorji UP, Fiebich BL. Bridelia ferruginea produces antineuroinflammatory activity through inhibition of Nuclear Factor-kappa B and p38 MAPK signalling. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012; 2012: 546873.

[2] Olajide OA, Aderogba MA, Fiebich BL. Mechanisms of anti-inflammatory property of Anacardium occidentale stem bark: inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signalling in the microglia. J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 145: 42 – 49.