Plant-Based Chemical Moieties for Targeting Chronic Respiratory Diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer are among the major chronic human diseases that posed a huge challenge to public health and socioeconomic growth. Pharmacotherapy is crucial in the management of these diseases; however, the utilization of conventional treatments is found to be futile, as most patients remained poorly controlled with low quality of life. This has prompted the discovery and development of novel therapeutic agents to improve treatment outcomes. Over the years, researchers have studied a vast range of natural products for their potential in managing chronic respiratory diseases. It has been demonstrated that chemical moieties obtained from plant sources improved pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles, with a robust multi-prolonged action. Hence, they are held in high regard as possible replacements to address the limitations faced by current therapies. In this chapter, such a phytochemical approach with respect to their molecular mechanisms targeting signalling pathways involved in various chronic respiratory diseases will be discussed. We have also summarized some of the experimental evidence that supports the use of plant-based chemical moieties in chronic respiratory diseases.