LIMITATIONS OF NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND THE UTILITY OF NATURAL PRODUCTS FOR ANTINOCICEPTIVE AND ANTIEXUDATIVE EFFECTS

*Ohadoma S. C., Akah P. A., Okolo C. E. Okoro E. P. and Michael H. U.

ABSTRACT

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) express anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects, essentially by reversible inhibition of the rate-limiting enzyme-cyclooxygenase (COX), in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins. Among the dominant widely used medications globally are NSAIDs and are indicated for various forms of acute and chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and pyrexia. Also some of them (aspirin for instance) are employed for prevention of secondary cardiovascular disorder due to mainly their ability to suppress platelet aggregation. Despite these applications, NSAIDs are known to present limitations in their untoward effects, hence researchers in recent times, have focused their efforts toward various chemical modifications of NSAIDs such as nitro-aspirin, des-methyl (DM)-sulindac, phosphatidylcholine (PC)-aspirin, pegylated phosphoribuprofen, dual COX/LOX inhibitors, Copper (II)/NSAIDs complexes; as well as natural product system of medicine for the discovery of agents that exert efficacy and potency with minimum adverse effects. This study reviewed the mechanisms of action, clinical applications, potential antitumor activity, interactions and limitations of NSAIDs as well as natural products with promising antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory (mainly anti-exudative) activities, utilizing the advantage of the frequent occurance of natural products as complexes of structurally related analogues to be exploited for good efficacy and safety in humans.

Keywords: NSAIDs, limitations, natural products, Chikadoma, antinociceptives, antiexudatives.