ABSTRACT
Inammation is the immune system’s physiological response to injury or infection resulting in pain (dolor), redness (rubor), heat (calor), and swelling (tumor) in the affected area. It is a complex biological response to harmful external stimuli such as
5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 101 5.2 Articular Cartilage: Structure, Function, and Degeneration in Arthritis ..... 103 5.3 Global Burden of Osteoarthritis (OA) .......................................................... 105 5.4 Bone and Joint Decade ................................................................................. 106 5.5 Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) .......................................................................... 107 5.6 Effects of Inammation on Articular Cartilage and Other Joint Tissues ...... 108 5.7 Pharmacotherapy for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases ............................. 110
5.7.1 Steroids and Anti-TNF-α Therapies ................................................. 110 5.7.2 Nonsteroidal Anti-Inammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) .......................... 111
5.8 Prophylactic and Therapeutic Applications of Phytochemicals in OA and RA .......................................................................................................... 111
5.9 Turmeric and Curcumin ............................................................................... 112 5.9.1 Pro-Apoptotic and Anti-Proliferative Activity of Curcumin ........... 113 5.9.2 Antioxidant Activity of Curcumin .................................................... 113 5.9.3 Anti-Inammatory Activity of Curcumin ........................................ 114 5.9.4 Anticatabolic Activities of Curcumin ............................................... 115 5.9.5 Potential Anabolic Effects of Curcumin .......................................... 115 5.9.6 Potential for Curcumin in Treating Arthritis ................................... 115
5.10 Other Dietary Supplements with Anti-Inammatory Properties ................. 116 5.10.1 Resveratrol ........................................................................................ 116 5.10.2 Omega-3 Fatty Acids ........................................................................ 117 5.10.3 Green Tea Catechins ......................................................................... 117
5.11 Concluding Remarks .................................................................................... 118 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 119 References .............................................................................................................. 120
pathogens (bacteria, viruses) and chemical irritants or damaged cells. Effectively, inammation is a protective attempt of the body to remove the injurious agent and initiate the healing process. Inammation is often incorrectly confused with infection. Although it can be caused by infection, the two terms are not synonymous and should be appropriately used: infection is caused by an exogenous pathogen, while inammation is one of the responses of the organism to a pathogen, insult, or injury.
