Exploring the Promise of Flavonoids to Combat Neuropathic Pain: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Implications

Md Sahab Uddin; Abdullah Al Mamun; Md Ataur Rahman; Md Tanvir Kabir; Saad Alkahtani; Ibtesam S Alanazi; Asma Perveen; Ghulam Md Ashraf; May N Bin-Jumah; Mohamed M Abdel-Daim

doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00478

Exploring the Promise of Flavonoids to Combat Neuropathic Pain: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Implications

Front Neurosci. 2020 Jun 9:14:478. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00478. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Md Sahab Uddin^{1

2}, Abdullah Al Mamun^{1

2}, Md Ataur Rahman³, Md Tanvir Kabir⁴, Saad Alkahtani⁵, Ibtesam S Alanazi⁶, Asma Perveen⁷, Ghulam Md Ashraf^{8

9}, May N Bin-Jumah¹⁰, Mohamed M Abdel-Daim^{5

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
² Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
³ Center for Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, Brac University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Univesity of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Glocal School of Life Sciences, Glocal University, Saharanpur, India.
⁸ King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
⁹ Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
¹⁰ Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
¹¹ Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

Abstract

Neuropathic pain (NP) is the result of irregular processing in the central or peripheral nervous system, which is generally caused by neuronal injury. The management of NP represents a great challenge owing to its heterogeneous profile and the significant undesirable side effects of the frequently prescribed psychoactive agents, including benzodiazepines (BDZ). Currently, several established drugs including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, topical lidocaine, and opioids are used to treat NP, but they exert a wide range of adverse effects. To reduce the burden of adverse effects, we need to investigate alternative therapeutics for the management of NP. Flavonoids are the most common secondary metabolites of plants used in folkloric medicine as tranquilizers, and have been claimed to have a selective affinity to the BDZ binding site. Several studies in animal models have reported that flavonoids can reduce NP. In this paper, we emphasize the potentiality of flavonoids for the management of NP.

Keywords: GABA; benzodiazepines; flavonoids; neuronal injury; neuropathic pain.

Publication types

Review