Celastrol and its Potential Health Benefits

Abstract

Celastrol is a bioactive compound derived from the root extract and stem of the plant, which is named as ''Tripterygium wilfordii Hook'' or ''Lei Gong Teng (Thunder God Vine)'' belonging to the family celastraceae. It is widely used in traditional medical treatment in China and other Asian countries. Celastrol is a pentacyclic triterpene belonging to a small class of organic compounds called quinone methides. This bioactive component, also known as tripterin, is soluble in trace amounts in water but soluble in non-polar solvents such as ethanol. In recent years, many studies have been carried out on its antioxidant, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective and anticancer effects, especially antiinflammatory effect. In these studies, the effects of celastrol on rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, alzheimer, parkinson, atherosclerosis and cancer were investigated. Major cell signaling pathways regulated by celastrol include Nf-kB, MAPK, JAK / STAT, PI3K / Akt / mTOR pathways and antioxidant defense mechanisms. It has also been reported that celastrol regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, proteasomal activity, angiogenesis, heat shock protein response and adaptive immune response. Despite the therapeutic potential, side effects such as gastrointestinal side effects and possible fertility problems have also been reported. Celastrol is a promising candidate for developing drugs. However, there are still some problems in the drug development process. Future preclinical studies will provide important information on the formulation of celastrol, its pharmacokinetics, its dosage and its toxicity for its optimization. This study was planned to investigate the potential health benefits of celastrol.