Medicinal plants are rich in bioactive compounds derived from the
secondary metabolism that characterizes these plants. These secondary metabolites
showed several in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial,
antioxidant and anticancer effects. Several studies have focused on anti-inflammatory
and immunomodulatory properties of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds.
These substances have enormous immunomodulatory anti-inflammatory effects; they
can suppress inflammatory factors, potentiate the immune response and regulate the
differentiation of immune cells. The mechanistic insights of these molecules are very
diverse and include the targeting of immune system receptors, the interference with
signaling pathways and deregulation of genes expression. Secondary metabolites
activate the expression of several cytokines such as IL-2 and IL-12 to modulate
immune response, and decrease the expression of some transcriptional factors such as
Nf-KB to suppress inflammatory process.
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, Bioactive compounds, Immunomodulatory,
Medicinal plants.
