Fraxin Promotes the Activation of Nrf2/ARE Pathway via Increasing the Expression of Connexin43 to Ameliorate Diabetic Renal Fibrosis

Pharmacological Activities of Plant-Derived Fraxin with Molecular Mechanisms: A Comprehensive Review

Fruits and vegetables serve not only as sources of nutrition but also as medicinal agents for the treatment of diverse diseases and maladies. These dietary components are significant resources of phytochemicals that demonstrate therapeutic properties against many illnesses. Fraxin is a naturally occurring coumarin glycoside mainly present in various species of Fraxinus genera, having a multitude of therapeutic uses against various diseases and disorders. This study focuses to investigate the pharmacological activities, botanical sources, and biopharmaceutical profile of the phytochemical fraxin based on different preclinical and non-clinical studies to show the scientific evidence and to evaluate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the therapeutic effects against various ailments. For this, data was searched and collected (as of February 15, 2024) in a variety of credible electronic databases, including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Springer Link, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The findings demonstrated favorable outcomes in relation to a range of diseases or medical conditions, including inflammation, neurodegenerative disorders such as cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) and depression, viral infection, as well as diabetic nephropathy. The phytochemical also showed protective effects such as osteoprotective, renoprotective, pulmoprotective, hepatoprotective, and gastroprotective effects due to its antioxidant capacity. Fraxin has a great capability to diminish oxidative stress-related damage in different organs by stimulating the antioxidant enzymes, downregulating nuclear factor kappa B and NLRP3, and triggering the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways. Fraxin exhibited poor oral bioavailability because of reduced absorption and a wide distribution into tissues of different organs. However, extensive research is required to decipher the biopharmaceutical profiles, and clinical studies are necessary to establish the efficacy of the natural compound as a reliable therapeutic agent.

Molecular Mechanistic Pathways Targeted by Natural Compounds in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most common complications of diabetes, and its prevalence is still growing rapidly. However, the efficient therapies for this kidney disease are still limited. The pathogenesis of DKD involves glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, inflammation, oxidative stress, and renal fibrosis. Glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity can cause oxidative stress, which can lead to inflammation and aggravate renal fibrosis. In this review, we have focused on in vitro and in vivo experiments to investigate the mechanistic pathways by which natural compounds exert their effects against the progression of DKD. The accumulated and collected data revealed that some natural compounds could regulate inflammation, oxidative stress, renal fibrosis, and activate autophagy, thereby protecting the kidney. The main pathways targeted by these reviewed compounds include the Nrf2 signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, TGF-β signaling pathway, NLRP3 inflammasome, autophagy, glycolipid metabolism and ER stress. This review presented an updated overview of the potential benefits of these natural compounds for the prevention and treatment of DKD progression, aimed to provide new potential therapeutic lead compounds and references for the innovative drug development and clinical treatment of DKD.