Advances in research on the anticancer mechanism of the natural compound cucurbitacin from Cucurbitaceae plants: a review
Journal Title: Traditional Medicine Research - Year 2019, Vol 4, Issue 2
Abstract
Cucurbitacins are highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenoids that are widely found in plants belonging to Cucurbitaceae family and exert various pharmacological effects. Many cucurbitacin derivatives are available, of which cucurbitacins B, D, E, and I are important members of the cucurbitacin family and exert anticancer effects against various cancers. This review summarizes the advances in research on cucurbitacins B, D, E, and I in inducing tumor cell apoptosis, cytoskeletal destruction, cell cycle arrest, and autophagy and in regulating various cancer-related signaling pathways. In addition, this review summarizes the latest research on the synergistic effects of the combination of cucurbitacins and clinically approved chemotherapeutic drugs. The findings summarized in this review suggest that cucurbitacins are multi-targeting and multi-functional anticancer drugs and that their complex anticancer mechanisms should be examined in future studies. Because of their proven benefits, cucurbitacins have the potential to be used as anticancer drugs in the clinical setting.
Authors and Affiliations
Jing Liang,Dan Chen
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP45109
- DOI 10.12032/TMR20190225102
- Views 360
- Downloads 0
Frequent attacks on health workers in China: social changes or historical origins?
According to a message posted by the official Weibo account of Chengguan Sub-bureau of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau in Gansu Province of China, on the morning of October 22, 2019, a suspect named Yang (male, aged 5...
South Asian medicinal plants and chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease remains as one of the serious health issues in South Asia. The paucity of effective pharmacotherapy targeting the management of chronic kidney disease has led to a search for alternative pharmacolo...
Treatment of diabetic foot ulcer with medicinal leech therapy and honey curcumin dressing: a case report
Highlights Wound healing impairment and ulcers in the foot, with pain and disability, are common complications of diabetes. The present case report shows the effectiveness of leech therapy in combination with honey an...
Anti-angiogenesis effect of melittin on Mock/MHCC97-H cells by the regulation of cathepsin S in vivo
Objective: To study the anti-angiogenesis effect of melittin on human hepatoma Mock/MHCC97-H cells by regulating the expression of cathepsin S (CatS) in vivo. Methods: Models of in situ transplantation tumor of Mock/MHCC...
Evaluating the clinical efficacy of Thunder-Fire moxibustion combined with ovulation monitoring in the treatment of adenomyosis combined with infertility
This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of Thunder-Fire moxibustion combined with ovulation monitoring for the treatment of adenomyosis-associated infertility. A series of 120 patients diagnosed with uterine adenomyos...