Exploring the Pharmacotherapeutic Potential of Natural Compound Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a natural organosulfur fatty acid biomolecule with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities, primarily through its reduced form, dihydrolipoic acid. It is naturally available in the body and found in foods such as red meat, carrots, beets, spinach, broccoli, and potatoes. Research has highlighted the pharmacotherapeutic effects of ALA, often called the universal antioxidant, due to its strong antioxidant properties. This review explores ALA's applications in managing various diseases. Numerous studies have shown ALA's significant medical potential, effectively treating and preventing different conditions by quenching reactive oxygen species, chelating metal ions, and reducing oxidized forms of other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and glutathione. Additionally, ALA exhibits anti-inflammatory actions by inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) signaling pathway. ALA has been found to play a significant role in managing ocular diseases, female infertility, diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. For instance, ALA protects against oxidative stress-induced damage in ocular diseases, improves reproductive health in female infertility, enhances glucose uptake in diabetes, induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in cancer, assists in weight management in obesity, improves endothelial function in cardiovascular health, and protects against neurodegenerative diseases in neurological health. These diverse effects illustrate that ALA operates through multiple pathways, many of which have only recently been discovered. ALA is safe and effective, offering potential therapeutic applications for various diseases, warranting further exploration in future studies.