Natural compounds lower uric acid levels and hyperuricemia: Molecular mechanisms and prospective

With the change of dietary habits and lifestyles, people tend to have elevated blood uric acid levels at a younger age, and this can cause serious health problems, such as hyperuricemia, gout, cardiovascular diseases and nephropathy. However, current clinical uric acid-lowering drugs mostly have side effects. Natural compounds from food and other plants have the properties of lowering uric acid. The objective of this review is to discuss the potential activities of natural compounds from food and other plants in lowering blood uric acid and the molecular mechanisms involved. Also discussed are the dietary sources of purines and key events in purine and uric acid metabolism, as well as hyperuricemia due to overproduction and underexcretion of uric acid. Flavonoids, especially flavones and flavonols as well as saponins, terpenoids and alkaloids, have shown uric acid-lowering effects. These compounds could reduce blood uric acid by inhibiting xanthine oxidoreductase and regulating uric acid transporters. Based on this information and the purine contents of different food items, a dietary approach is discussed for the lowering of uric acid as an adjuvant or replacement of therapeutic drugs for hyperuricemia.