Exploring the Renoprotective Potential of Bioactive Nutraceuticals in Chronic Kidney Disease Progression: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that is characterized by progressive loss of kidney function over time. A substantial increase in the burden of CKD is evident globally, attributed to multifactorial conditions like an expanding aging population, rising diabetes and hypertension rates, and more significant exposures to risk factors associated with the environment and lifestyle. Nutraceuticals are substances that are usually considered a food or an active part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of a disease. The aim is to review the positive role of nutraceuticals in managing CKD. A narrative review is generated, extracting the papers from databases like Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, and PubMed. Animal and human trials focusing on the effect of different nutraceuticals on the initial stage of kidney disease, i.e., stages 1, 2, and 3 of CKD, were included. The review's outcome is understanding the effectiveness of nutraceuticals that have shown positive results in CKD conditions. Active compounds include ubiquinone, curcumin, nitrates, nitrites, lycopene, and resveratrol. These bioactive components are also beneficial for other comorbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular conditions that have an eminent adverse effect on CKD. Lycopene, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), resveratrol, curcumin, and flavonoids have positively impacted CKD complications. Nutraceuticals hold great promise for individuals with CKD in the coming years, offering diverse potential benefits. These include delivering vital antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support to alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation, helping to regulate blood pressure and lipid levels for improved cardiovascular health, promoting optimal renal function to sustain kidney health, assisting in maintaining electrolyte balance, warding off complications, influencing gut microbiota for enhanced digestive well-being, and ultimately elevating the overall quality of life, for those managing CKD.

Keywords: bioactive; chronic kidney disease; glomerular filtration rate; nutraceuticals; oxidative stress; proteinuria.

Figure 1. Interplay of different bioactive components in the reduction of oxidative stress biomarkers (MDA, SOD), inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, VEGF, CRP, ISF), proteinuria, and kidney stones and improvement of glucose metabolism, urine-albumin excretion, cardiac biomarkers, renal damage recovery, and renal preservation

MDA: malondialdehyde; SOD: superoxide dismutase; IL-6: interleukin-6; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor-alpha; TGF-β: transforming growth factor-beta; VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor; CRP: C-reactive protein; ISF: insulin sensitivity factor Image Credit: Anindita Ghosh