The cinnamon metabolite sodium benzoate may have a therapeutic role in multiple sclerosis. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Immunomodulation of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by cinnamon metabolite sodium benzoate.
Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2011 Mar 22. Epub 2011 Mar 22. PMID: 21425926
Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common human demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Sodium benzoate (NaB), a metabolite of cinnamon and a FDA-approved drug against urea cycle disorders in children, is a widely used food additive, which is long known for its microbicidal effect. However, recent studies reveal that apart from its microbicidal effects, NaB can also regulate many immune signaling pathways responsible for inflammation, glial cell activation, switching of T-helper cells, modulation of regulatory T cells, cell-to-cell contact, and migration. As a result, NaB alters the neuroimmunology of EAE and ameliorates the disease process of EAE. In this review, we have made an honest attempt to analyze these newly-discovered immunomodulatory activities of NaB and associated mechanisms that may help in considering this drug for various inflammatory human disorders including MS as primary or adjunct therapy.