Nutraceuticals: Potential for Chondroprotection and Molecular Targeting of Osteoarthritis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Daniel J. Leong¹  Marwa Choudhury¹  David M. Hirsh¹  John A. Hardin¹  Neil J. Cobelli¹ 

[1] Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: nutraceuticals;    osteoarthritis;    molecular targets;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms141123063

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of adult disability. There is no cure for OA, and no effective treatments which arrest or slow its progression. Current pharmacologic treatments such as analgesics may improve pain relief but do not alter OA disease progression. Prolonged consumption of these drugs can result in severe adverse effects. Given the nature of OA, life-long treatment will likely be required to arrest or slow its progression. Consequently, there is an urgent need for OA disease-modifying therapies which also improve symptoms and are safe for clinical use over long periods of time. Nutraceuticals—food or food products that provide medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease—offer not only favorable safety profiles, but may exert disease- and symptom-modification effects in OA. Forty-seven percent of OA patients use alternative medications, including nutraceuticals. This review will overview the efficacy and mechanism of action of commonly used nutraceuticals, discuss recent experimental and clinical data on the effects of select nutraceuticals, such as phytoflavonoids, polyphenols, and bioflavonoids on OA, and highlight their known molecular actions and limitations of their current use. We will conclude with a proposed novel nutraceutical-based molecular targeting strategy for chondroprotection and OA treatment.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland