PubMed · 2026-05-18
A review of preclinical studies finds that compounds from common plants — broccoli, citrus, chamomile, and traditional Chinese herbs — can suppress a newly characterized form of runaway inflammatory cell death called PANoptosis, offering broad protective effects against heart disease, organ injury, and cancer.
Nine specific plant compounds — including sulforaphane (broccoli), lycopene (tomato), hesperidin (citrus), and apigenin (chamomile) — suppressed core PANoptosis proteins like NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD in preclinical disease models.
Five traditional Chinese herbal formulations (including Xiao Chai Hu and Dachaihu decoctions) demonstrated measurable PANoptosis-modulating effects, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.
Plant compounds activated the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway and boosted enzymes SOD and CAT, providing multi-organ protection spanning cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, hepatic, and neurological disease models.
