Quercetin: a flavonoid with the potential to treat asthma

Laila Rigolin Fortunato,Maxelle Martins Teixeira,Alexandre Paula Rogerio,Claudiney De Freitas Alves

doi:10.1590/s1984-82502012000400002

Laila Rigolin Fortunato, Maxelle Martins Teixeira + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-82502012000400002

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Abstract

Allergic asthma is a complex inflammatory disorder characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, eosinophilic inflammation and hypersecretion of mucus. Current therapies include β2-agonists, cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonists and corticosteroids. Although these drugs demonstrate beneficial effects, their adverse side effects limit their long-term use. Thus, the development of new compounds with similar therapeutic activities and reduced side effects is both desirable and necessary. Natural compounds are used in some current therapies, as plant-derived metabolites can relieve disease symptoms in the same manner as allopathic medicines. Quercetin is a flavonoid that is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables and has been shown to exert multiple biological effects in experimental models, including the reduction of major symptoms of asthma: bronchial hyperactivity, mucus production and airway inflammation. In this review, we discuss results from the literature that illustrate the potential of quercetin to treat asthma and its exacerbations.

Highlights

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease common worldwide (Mukherjee, Zhang, 2011)
According to the guidelines issued by the U.S National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), asthma severity can be classified based on clinical features into intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent asthma (Wenzel, 2006)
Some patients are refractory to the current therapies of β2-agonists and corticosteroids, whose adverse side effects limit their long-term use

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease common worldwide (Mukherjee, Zhang, 2011). According to the guidelines issued by the U.S National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), asthma severity can be classified based on clinical features into intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent, and severe persistent asthma (Wenzel, 2006). Typical asthma treatments include β2-agonists and systemic corticosteroids (Mukherjee, Zhang, 2011; NIH, 1997). Several plant-derived secondary metabolites can decrease the expression and production of inflammatory mediators and their receptors, down-regulate the production and activity of second messengers and inhibit the expression of transcription factors that promote the production of inflammatory molecules (Calixto et al, 2000, 2004). Such effects provide symptom relief similar to that afforded by allopathic medicines. Quercetin metabolites have been found to be present in the carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaled from the lung (Walle et al, 2001)

POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF QUERCETIN ON ASTHMA

CONCLUSION

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