399
19.5.3 Anti-inflammatory and Immune Effects of Polyphenols
Phenolic compounds have antioxidant roles to play which could be relevant in the
prevention of carcinogenesis by altering the oxidative stress condition, which
reduces inflammatory responses associated with carcinogenesis (D’Alessandro
et al. 2003). Reactive oxygen species can damage proteins, DNA and RNA, as well
as oxidize fatty acids in cell membranes thus increasing the risk of mutations. It is
however believed that majority of the damages caused by ROS can be restored by
the body’s internal surveillance and its repair system (D’Alessandro et al. 2003).
These ROS are also considered to be important in the activation of NF-kB and other
transcription factors as they serve as endogenous mitogenic factors in a variety of
normal processes (Kovacic and Jacintho 2001). One of the chemoprevention mechanisms of phenolic compounds is associated with their scavenging properties of
deleterious reactive species (including hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, singlet
oxygen, peroxynitrite and nitric oxide) (D’Alessandro et al. 2003). Alternatively,
polyphenols can inhibit ROS generating transcription factors closely linked to
inflammation (e.g., NF-kB24) and enzymes such as xanthine oxidase (XO) and
cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as demonstrated by curcumin (Lin and Shih 1994;
Zhang et al. 1999) or lipoxygenase (LOX) by polyphenols including curcumin, silymarin, and resveratrol (Hong et al. 2001) which mediate inflammatory processes
(Le Corre et al. 2005). Polyphenols have also been reported to behave as detoxifying enzyme inducers, where they modulate gene expression which also include the
induction of phase II enzymes, such as quinone reductases (QR) and glutathione
S-transferases (GST) (Fiander and Schneider 2000). This action usually leads to
protection of cells or tissues where they occur against exogenous and/or endogenous carcinogenic intermediates (Fiander and Schneider 2000). A number of works
have been conducted on the effect of flavonoid and other phenolics on their immune
boosting effects and anti-inflammatory functions (Middleton 1998; Locatelli et al.
2018). Kumar and Pandey (2013) reported the anti-inflammatory potentials of some
flavonoid compounds such as apigenin, hesperidin, luteolin and quercetin. The antiinflammatory properties for different cultivars of the extract of Lonicera caerulea
L. was investigated, by focusing on the pro-inflammatory cytokines, using in vitro
human monocytic cell line THP-1 derived macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (Vasantha et al. 2015). Their result revealed that Borealis cultivar of haskap
berry exhibited anti-inflammatory effect, which is comparable to diclofenac drug.
This anti-inflammatory effect was due to the presence of high concentration of phenolic compounds like flavonoid and anthocyanin (Vasantha et al. 2015). The polyphenolic compounds of Gaillardia grandiflora Hort. and Gaillardia pulchella Foug
were similarly observed to possess anti-inflammatory effect with no toxicological
apiofuranosyl-(1″′→6″)-C-β-D4
C 1 -glucopyranoside, from G. grandiflora and other
known compound which include luteolin 6-C-ß-D-4C1-glucopyranoside 8-methyl
ether, schaftoside, isoorientin, apigenin 6-C-ß-D-4C1- glucopyranoside 8-methyl
19 Polyphenols: Classifications, Biosynthesis and Bioactivities
19.5.3 Anti-inflammatory and Immune Effects of Polyphenols
Phenolic compounds have antioxidant roles to play which could be relevant in the
prevention of carcinogenesis by altering the oxidative stress condition, which
reduces inflammatory responses associated with carcinogenesis (D’Alessandro
et al. 2003). Reactive oxygen species can damage proteins, DNA and RNA, as well
as oxidize fatty acids in cell membranes thus increasing the risk of mutations. It is
however believed that majority of the damages caused by ROS can be restored by
the body’s internal surveillance and its repair system (D’Alessandro et al. 2003).
These ROS are also considered to be important in the activation of NF-kB and other
transcription factors as they serve as endogenous mitogenic factors in a variety of
normal processes (Kovacic and Jacintho 2001). One of the chemoprevention mechanisms of phenolic compounds is associated with their scavenging properties of
deleterious reactive species (including hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, singlet
oxygen, peroxynitrite and nitric oxide) (D’Alessandro et al. 2003). Alternatively,
polyphenols can inhibit ROS generating transcription factors closely linked to
inflammation (e.g., NF-kB24) and enzymes such as xanthine oxidase (XO) and
cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as demonstrated by curcumin (Lin and Shih 1994;
Zhang et al. 1999) or lipoxygenase (LOX) by polyphenols including curcumin, silymarin, and resveratrol (Hong et al. 2001) which mediate inflammatory processes
(Le Corre et al. 2005). Polyphenols have also been reported to behave as detoxifying enzyme inducers, where they modulate gene expression which also include the
induction of phase II enzymes, such as quinone reductases (QR) and glutathione
S-transferases (GST) (Fiander and Schneider 2000). This action usually leads to
protection of cells or tissues where they occur against exogenous and/or endogenous carcinogenic intermediates (Fiander and Schneider 2000). A number of works
have been conducted on the effect of flavonoid and other phenolics on their immune
boosting effects and anti-inflammatory functions (Middleton 1998; Locatelli et al.
2018). Kumar and Pandey (2013) reported the anti-inflammatory potentials of some
flavonoid compounds such as apigenin, hesperidin, luteolin and quercetin. The antiinflammatory properties for different cultivars of the extract of Lonicera caerulea
L. was investigated, by focusing on the pro-inflammatory cytokines, using in vitro
human monocytic cell line THP-1 derived macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (Vasantha et al. 2015). Their result revealed that Borealis cultivar of haskap
berry exhibited anti-inflammatory effect, which is comparable to diclofenac drug.
This anti-inflammatory effect was due to the presence of high concentration of phenolic compounds like flavonoid and anthocyanin (Vasantha et al. 2015). The polyphenolic compounds of Gaillardia grandiflora Hort. and Gaillardia pulchella Foug
were similarly observed to possess anti-inflammatory effect with no toxicological
apiofuranosyl-(1″′→6″)-C-β-D4
C 1 -glucopyranoside, from G. grandiflora and other
known compound which include luteolin 6-C-ß-D-4C1-glucopyranoside 8-methyl
ether, schaftoside, isoorientin, apigenin 6-C-ß-D-4C1- glucopyranoside 8-methyl
19 Polyphenols: Classifications, Biosynthesis and Bioactivities