Momordicacharantia: A New Strategic Vision to Improve the Therapy of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Abstract

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum is the major site for protein biosynthesis. Any perturbation in the endoplasmic reticulum will compromise its functions and reduce its efficiency in protein biosynthesis. As a result, misfolded proteins are produced and accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum. This will result in endoplasmic reticulum stress, which reduces the quantity and quality of the functional protein synthesized from the cell. Besides that, the protein biosynthesis is also highly affected by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a condition where the cell has excessive exogenous and endogenous radical oxygen species overwhelming the human body's antioxidant mechanisms. Recent researches have shown that endoplasmic reticulum stress has a strong relationship with oxidative stress and both of them can form a vicious cycle that exacerbates endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress. Endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress are harmful to human health since they can disrupt cellular homoeostasis and damage cells.

Method: This work reported several studies that demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress have a vital role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as diabetes and colitis.

Results: Further research is needed to develop the therapeutic strategies that resolve endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in order to treat these diseases.

Conclusion: Currently, Momordicacharantia attracts worldwide attentions due to its various beneficial effects as the functional foods and can possibly help in treating endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress.

Keywords: Endoplasmic reticulum stress; momordicacharantia; oxidative stress; protein biosynthesis; radical oxidative stress; unfolded protein response.