A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Role of Nutraceuticals in the Management of Neuropathic Pain in In Vivo Studies
Sara Ilari,
Stefania Proietti,
Patrizia Russo,
Valentina Malafoglia,
Micaela Gliozzi,
Jessica Maiuolo,
Francesca Oppedisano,
Ernesto Palma,
Carlo Tomino,
Massimo Fini,
William Raffaeli,
Vincenzo Mollace,
Stefano Bonassi,
Carolina Muscoli
Affiliations
Sara Ilari
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Stefania Proietti
Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166 Rome, Italy
Patrizia Russo
Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166 Rome, Italy
Valentina Malafoglia
ISAL Foundation Institute for Research on Pain, Torre Pedrera, 47922 Rimini, Italy
Micaela Gliozzi
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Jessica Maiuolo
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Francesca Oppedisano
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Ernesto Palma
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Carlo Tomino
Scientific Direction, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166 Rome, Italy
Massimo Fini
Scientific Direction, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166 Rome, Italy
William Raffaeli
ISAL Foundation Institute for Research on Pain, Torre Pedrera, 47922 Rimini, Italy
Vincenzo Mollace
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Stefano Bonassi
Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, 00166 Rome, Italy
Carolina Muscoli
Department of Health Science, Institute of Research for Food Safety & Health (IRC-FSH), University “Magna Graecia” of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
The control of neuropathic pain is a leading challenge in modern medicine. Traditional medicine has, for a long time, used natural compounds such as nutraceuticals for this purpose, and extensive evidence has supported their role in controlling oxidative stress and persistent pain-related inflammation. Nutraceuticals are natural products belonging to the food sector whose consumption could be related to physiological benefits. Indeed, they are used to improve health, prevent chronic diseases, and delay the aging process. Here, we report a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide a more comprehensive report on the use of nutraceuticals in neuropathic pain, including evaluating confounding factors. A search of the literature has been conducted on principal databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science) following the PRISMA statement, and we retrieved 484 articles, 12 of which were selected for the meta-analysis. The results showed that administration of natural drugs in animals with neuropathic pain led to a significant reduction in thermal hyperalgesia, measured in both the injured paw (SMD: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.41 to 2.17; p p = 0.036), as well as a reduction in mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia (SMD: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.82; p < 0.001) when compared to controls. The results of the review indicate that nutraceutical compounds could be clinically relevant for managing persistent neuropathic pain.
