Trans-Resveratrol in Pregnancy, SCD and Woman’s Health

Resveratrol is a common phytochemical found in an abundance in nutritious and wholesome foods and thus has always likely been part of the human diet for many centuries.As such, resveratrol may contribute to the success of the French Paradox, where the inclusion of red wines is a familiar dietary addition and is associated with reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease.The primary metabolic action of resveratrol and related phenolic compounds likely rests in its potential antioxidant activity, being able to quench reactive free radicals (ROS) and other inflammatory activities in peripheral tissues.Wholesome foods are an established contributor to healthy benefits, sometimes attributed to the ratio of dietary fibers to macronutrient intake being consumed, with glycemic index also a significant factor.Resveratrol has been suggested as an adjunct in the clinical management of numerous metabolic disorders, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and sickle cell disease among others associated with chronic inflammation.Thus, the purpose of this review is to examine the safety and efficacy of resveratrol in pregnancy.The results indicate that resveratrol is likely a safe and effective adjunct in treating the hypoxia and chronic inflammation of pregnancy, in addition to its applications in various hemoglobinopathies including sickle cell disease by inducing increased production of sickle-resistant fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in addition to reducing the magnitude of chronic inflammation, while enhancing oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues via actions of fetal hemoglobin.Thus, RSV may also be able to partially correct the effects linked to the globin chain imbalance in SCD patients, while at the same time facilitating oxygen transport to myoglobin in peripheral tissues due to a more favorable oxygen-delivering capacity than is observed in adult hemoglobin.The purpose of this paper is to review the biochemical, pharmacologic and potential toxicologic aspects of trans-resveratrol administration as an adjunct in the treatment of hemoglobinopathies including SCD during pregnancy.