# Potential Targets of Natural Products for Improving Cardiac Ischemic Injury: The Role of Nrf2 Signaling Transduction

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how natural products may help treat heart damage from lack of oxygen by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

## Contribution

The paper systematically reviews the role of Nrf2 signaling in natural product treatment of myocardial ischemia.

## Key findings

- Nrf2 regulates antioxidant genes and pathological processes in cardiovascular diseases.
- Natural products may alleviate myocardial ischemia by modulating Nrf2 signaling.
- The specific mechanisms of Nrf2 in natural product treatment remain unclear but are being explored.

## Abstract

Myocardial ischemia is the leading cause of health loss from cardiovascular disease worldwide. Myocardial ischemia and hypoxia during exercise trigger the risk of sudden exercise death which, in severe cases, will further lead to myocardial infarction. The Nrf2 transcription factor is an important antioxidant regulator that is extensively engaged in biological processes such as oxidative stress, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and mitochondrial malfunction. It has a significant role in the prevention and treatment of several cardiovascular illnesses, since it can control not only the expression of several antioxidant genes, but also the target genes of associated pathological processes. Therefore, targeting Nrf2 will have great potential in the treatment of myocardial ischemic injury. Natural products are widely used to treat myocardial ischemic diseases because of their few side effects. A large number of studies have shown that the Nrf2 transcription factor can be used as an important way for natural products to alleviate myocardial ischemia. However, the specific role and related mechanism of Nrf2 in mediating natural products in the treatment of myocardial ischemia is still unclear. Therefore, this review combs the key role and possible mechanism of Nrf2 in myocardial ischemic injury, and emphatically summarizes the significant role of natural products in treating myocardial ischemic symptoms, thus providing a broad foundation for clinical transformation.