Versatile pharmacological activities of phytochemicals through their effects on nuclear receptors

Abstract

Phytochemicals are well-known to exert versatile pharmacological activities, and these activities had been ascribed to their antioxidative activity and ability to interact with membranes. This review focuses on the activities of phytochemicals against nuclear receptors (NRs) and summarizes recent progress in this area, leading to elucidation of the versatile pharmacological activities of phytochemicals. The in vitro modes of action of 94 phytochemicals on 19 NRs and their in vivo modulatory activities in regulating the physiological functions of NRs, as well as the modulatory activities of some phytochemicals against NR signaling networks in the regulation of aquaporins and circadian rhythm, are described. These studies have revealed not only that there are phytochemicals capable of modulating multiple NRs but also that NRs perform their physiological roles in co-operation with other NRs through crosstalk between them as well as working independently. Hence, further efforts are needed to clarify the entire picture of the pharmacological activities of phytochemicals against NRs.