The team from Imperial College London, England, confirmed resveratrol’s broad anti-inflammatory action, and found potential for applications in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and possibly even arthritis.
However they note that clinical preparation and delivery remain issues.
Resveratrol from red wine has long been associated with the so-called ‘French Paradox’, reflecting the low incidence of heart disease among the French despite their relatively high-fat diet. Found in the skins of red fruits such as grapes and plums, the polyphenol is being marketed as a supplement by some companies although it is known to present bioavailability issues.
The Imperial team did confirmed the compound “exhibited anti-inflammatory mediator release from human airway epithelial cells."
They write in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and
Molecular Physiology that their study also excluded a number of potential
mechanisms of action, including the oestrogen or glucocorticoid receptor. This
means these agents might be beneficial in inflammatory diseases where
glucocorticosteroids have proved to be ineffective, such as COPD,
steroid-resistant asthma, and arthritis.