Production of Lovastatin and its Lipid-lowering and Anti-Cancer Effects

Abstract

Lovastatin is traditionally used to reduce the amount of cholesterol and lipid levels in many diseases, but its anti-cancer properties are now discovered. By regulating and modulating crucial signaling small G-proteins of cancer cell including Rho, Rac, and Ras, lovastatin can alter cancer cell division, migration, and induce cell death. Lovastatin has a similar structure to HMG-CoA and thus can competitively bind to HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) and work as a hypolipidemic medicine. The anti-cancer effect of lovastatin had led to extensive research. It had been confirmed based on many in-vitro studies that lovastatin had obvious inhibitory effects on different kinds of cancer. In addition, lovastatin can increase therapeutic effect since it regulates the cell signaling pathway which induces cell cycle arrests. This article covers the application of lovastatin and cancer treatment. Lovastatin has shown promising anti-cancer properties in breast cancers, ovarian cancers and breast cancers, but more evidence is needed to determine its anti-cancer properties in-vivo and in humans.

Unearthing the fungal endophyte Aspergillus terreus for chemodiversity and medicinal prospects: a comprehensive review

“…Statins are a class of drugs that inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, resulting in reduced cholesterol production [ 129 ]. In the 1970s, the statins were first discovered by Dr. Akira Endo, the Japanese microbiologist, in the filamentous fungi Penicillium (P.) citrinum and later in A. terreus ; lovastatin was first discovered in 1978 by Alberts, Chen, and others, and for a long time, fungi were the only source for the statins [ 129 , 138 ]. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved the first statin, lovastatin, as anti-hypercholesterolemic drug in August 1987 [ 129 ].…”

“…The structure of chemically synthesized statins, such as atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, fluvastatin, and cerivastatin, differs from natural statins; nonetheless, there is a similitude to natural statins in the HMG CoA-like inhibitory moiety [ 129 ]. Lovastatin (290) has long been used to lower cholesterol and lipid levels in several diseases, it is well-known for decreasing cholesterol and increasing the hepatic uptake of LDL-C via upregulating low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) and because it has a structure similar to HMG-CoA, it can bind competitively to HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) and act as a hypolipidemic medication [ 138 ]. Leach et al reported that a Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) inhibitor decreased the growth of atherosclerotic plaque in the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit study.…”