Natural products in regeneration

Abstract Renal damage can result from of a variety of insults, including exposure to nephrotoxins, chronic illness, and acute conditions. During wound healing, macrophages infiltrate injured kidney tissue to clear damaged cells and regulate reparative responses, while resident fibroblasts deposit extracellular matrix to promote healing. However, these reparative processes are often dysregulated, especially during severe and chronic insults, resulting in tissue inflammation and fibrosis, and ultimately, long-term disease. Therefore, kidney inflammation and fibrosis present barriers to repair after renal injury. In addition, regenerative capacity is determined by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) production and consumption. This chapter is a review of natural products and their mechanisms of action that may provide benefit in renal regeneration, with specific focus on compounds that target inflammation and fibrosis, and that promote NAD+ supply.