The potential benefit of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) in pulmonary arterial hypertension: A short review

Abstract

Rooibos is a uniquely South African plant cultivated to produce rooibos herbal tea or extract and often incorporated into iced herbal tea, soap, skin lotion, facewash, and shampoo. Rooibos provides health benefits against multiple diseases including cardiac pathologies, skin disorders, obesity, and diabetes via its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, and anti-apoptotic properties. The pathophysiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) includes increased lung inflammation and oxidative stress, and tumour-like growth (i.e., the increased proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and apoptosis of pulmonary artery endothelial cells). In this review, we discuss literature supporting rooibos as a potential novel therapeutic agent to protect against PAH. We suggest that rooibos may reduce lung inflammation and oxidative stress and limit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and endothelial cell apoptosis, thereby inhibiting PAH progression. • Rooibos is a unique South African plant, cultivated to produce rooibos tea or extract that is high in polyphenols. • Rooibos provides health benefits against cardiac pathologies, skin disorders, obesity, and diabetes. • The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumour, and anti-apoptotic actions of rooibos makes it a candidate therapeutic agent against pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). • Rooibos may reduce lung inflammation, oxidative stress, limit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation and endothelial cell apoptosis, thereby inhibiting PAH progression. • Evidence discussed in this paper supports the role of rooibos as a possible novel therapeutic agent in the context of PAH.