A Review study on mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of various Drugs and Ayurvedic formulations (Anti-inflammatory medications)

Abstract

Inflammation is primarily a defensive and healing mechanism, to save the human body when challenged with trauma, infection, autoimmune, toxic and ischemic injuries. While chronic inflammation needs to be controlled almost in all pathological conditions like diabetes, cardio-vascular conditions, autoimmune diseases and carcinomas; most of the time even acute inflammation needs a control to certain extent like to control pain, swelling and fever for comfort and health. While a number of medications are available for same and newer formulations are still under work, various ayurvedic drugs are also well known to possess a significant anti-inflammatory effect with better adverse effect profile at times. Since there is a compulsion to move our efforts from curative to preventive aspects of healthcare, like the need of a diet with anti-inflammatory properties, it always is beneficial to understand how various plants and plant products possesses anti-inflammatory properties. An attempt is made to compile the mechanisms of action of various medicines and anti-inflammatory ayurvedic formulations, to give an overview of how all products come in the ambit of same group of biochemical interactions and pharmacological affects. This also emphasizes, why is it essential for every new formulation and conventionally used plant products to undergo studies to know exactly how it ensues its affects, herein anti-inflammatory actions. This also underlines how such knowledge helps to hypothesize newer mechanisms of action and novel drugs which may act by same or similar mechanisms of actions. This also provides the guidelines for approaches to develop newer medicines.