Beneficial Effects of Eucalyptol in the Pathophysiological Changes of the Respiratory System: A Proposal for Alternative Pharmacological Therapy for Individuals with COPD

It is estimated that there will be an increase in the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the coming decades. Thus, the pharmacological attributes of products of plant origin should be considered as an important economic and scientific strategy in the investigation of therapeutic alternatives, since their experimental validations are indispensable to substantiate the reliability of these products in the treatment of chronic diseases. Like biologically active compounds, Eucalyptol, also known as 1,8- cineole, is the major constituent of the leaf oil of eucalyptus species, such as Eucalyptus globulus and Eucalyptus tereticornis. It is a terpenoid oxide, free of steroid-like side effects. This study is based on a review of the specialised literature with purpose to discuss the biological effects of Eucalyptol in the respiratory system and its interaction with some of the most promising targets in the treatment of COPD, such as: receivers and membrane channels, oxidative stress, transcription and expression of cytokines, cell adhesion molecules and neutrophil chemotaxis, proteases and remodeling.