The use of plant-derived bioactive compounds to target cancer stem cells and modulate tumor microenvironment.

Considered as the second deadliest disease globally, cancer has captured the attention of researchers who have been trying with perseverance to decode its hidden aspects, to find new prognosis methods, and to develop better and more effective treatments. Plants have continuously offered an excess of unique secondary metabolites with remarkable biological applications. Alkaloids, one of the most abundant metabolites, constitute a large conglomerate of basic heterocyclic nitrogen-containing natural compounds which are normally produced by plants as toxic substances. Out of the 27,000 different alkaloids, more than 17,000 have displayed diversified pharmacological properties including anticancer activities. These metabolites have been classified either according to their chemical structures or their taxonomic origin. None of the researched alkaloids have been classified according to their molecular mechanism of action against cancer. In fact, only a fraction of the tremendous number of anticancer alkaloids has been copiously mentioned in journals. Here, we aim to provide a summary of the literature on some of the promising anticancer alkaloids that have not been well discussed previously and to classify them according to their molecular mechanisms of action. This review will provide a better understanding of the anticancer mechanisms of these promising natural products that are a rich reservoir for drug discovery.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/22/2/250/pdf

Emerging Cytotoxic Alkaloids in the Battle against Cancer: Overview of Molecular Mechanisms.

Alkaloids from Traditional Chinese Medicine against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Strychnos nux-vomica L. belongs to the genus Strychnos of the family Loganiaceae and grows in Sri Lanka, India and Australia. The traditional medicinal component is its seed, called Nux vomica. This study provides a relevant and comprehensive review of S. nux-vomica L., including its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, thus providing a foundation for future studies. Up to the present day, over 84 compounds, including alkaloids, iridoid glycosides, flavonoid glycosides, triterpenoids, steroids and organic acids, among others, have been isolated and identified from S. nux-vomica. These compounds possess an array of biological activities, including effects on the nervous system, analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions, antitumor effects, inhibition of the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and regulation of immune function. Furthermore, toxicity and detoxification methods are preliminarily discussed toward the end of this review. In further research on S. nux-vomica, bioa...

Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicity of Strychnos nux-vomica L.: A Review.

Recent years have seen an unpretending increase in research using dietary phytochemicals for targeting cancer and cancer stem cells (CSCs) due to the limited efficacy of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy and numerous associated side effects. A large number of dietary phytochemicals using traditional recommendation and experimental approaches have been demonstrated to have anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic, reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducing, anti-angiogenic, pro-apoptotic effects and efficacy in targeting cellular molecules and pathways implicated in malignancy. Researchers have shown the knack of phytochemicals in interfering with the CSCs self-renewal process. Thus, dietary phytochemicals can play a significant role in the cancer therapy owing to the plethora of targets without toxicity. In this review, we have discussed about the basic knowledge of CSCs, their identification, characterization, mechanism of self-renewal pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog, and Notch), features that ...

Emerging Importance of Dietary Phytochemicals in Fight against Cancer: Role in Targeting Cancer Stem Cells

Brucine, an alkaloid from seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica Linn., represses hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and metastasis: The role of hypoxia inducible factor 1 pathway

Xinlin Zhang

Papers

Brucine, an alkaloid from seeds of Strychnos nux-vomica Linn., represses hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration and metastasis: The role of hypoxia inducible factor 1 pathway