Abstract
Bioactive compounds from medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects have been emerging as important sources of drugs for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Triptolide, a diterpene triepoxide, is a pharmacologically active compound isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) that is used as a remedy for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. As the most promising bioactive compound obtained from TwHF, triptolide has attracted considerable interest recently, especially for its potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities. Over the past few years, an increasing number of studies have been published emphasizing the value of triptolide in the treatment of diverse inflammatory disorders. Here, we systematically review the mechanism of action and the therapeutic properties of triptolide in various inflammatory diseases according to different systematic organs, including lupus nephritis, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis with pubmed and Embase. Based on this review, potential research strategies might contribute to the clinical application of triptolide in the future.
Highlights
Complementary and alternative medications, including traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), have long been used to treat inflammatory disorders, and they are generally well tolerated by patients (Goldrosen and Straus, 2004)
With pubmed and Embase, we systematically review the therapeutic properties of triptolide in inflammatory diseases according to different systematic organs and illustrate its potential clinical applications
With an increasing worldwide rate of inflammatory disorders, there is an urgent need for the improvement of the therapeutic activity of anti-inflammatory agents
Summary
Complementary and alternative medications, including traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), have long been used to treat inflammatory disorders, and they are generally well tolerated by patients (Goldrosen and Straus, 2004). One TCM, Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF), has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory disorders for many centuries (Tao et al, 1991; Goldbach-Mansky et al, 2009; Lv et al, 2015). TwHF belongs to celastraceae family and Tripterygium genus. It has been collected in Southern China and its roots have been used in various preparations to “relieve stasis and internal warmth,” among many other conditions diagnosed by TCM practitioners. Previous studies demonstrated TwHF exhibited multiple pharmacological activities including antitumor, immune modulation, anti-inflammatory, and antifertility effects. In RA, TwHF was found to have anti-inflammatory and cartilage protective effects (Zhou et al, 2018). TwHF might have significant side effects and severe toxicity, which limits the clinical application
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