Protective effects and therapeutic applications of ellagic acid against natural and synthetic toxicants: A review article

Traditional herbal drugs are widely used for the treatment of various diseases. Ellagic acid (EA) as an herbal polyphenol metabolite exists in many medicinal plants. EA has an important role against natural and chemical toxicities due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For this review, several search engines or databases such as PubMed, Scopus, the Web of Science, and Google Scholar were used, and the most relevant published papers till February 2022 were included. The protective effects of EA against natural and chemical compounds are mediated through molecular mechanisms including scavenging of free radicals, modulation of proinflammatory cytokine synthesis, and reduction of lipid peroxidation. These properties make EA a highly fascinating compound that may contribute to different aspects of health; whereas, more studies are needed, especially on the pharmacokinetic profile of EA. In this review, we selected articles that include the protective effect of EA against several synthetic and natural toxins such as aflatoxin, lipopolysaccharide, acrylamide, and rotenone.