Review of Sacred Herbal Medicine Aegle marmelos: A Potent Metastasis Inhibitor

Abstract

Aegle marmelos (A. marmelos) appears to be a significantly used ayurvedic medicine. This is a brilliantly composed nutritious fruit with carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins like riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, fatty acids, and minerals. Scientific studies have proved that A. marmelos has phytochemicals: carotenoids, phenolic, alkaloids, pectins, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids and terpenoids. Recent research on the effects of A. marmelos proved its anticancer, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective activities. Extracts of various parts of plants such as leaves, bark, stems, fruits, and pulp subjected to preclinical studies conducted on cell lines showed apoptosis induction, inhibition of cell cycle and inhibition of proliferation of cells. Anti-cancer activity of A. marmelos was studied on selected cell lines of lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and leukaemia. A. marmelos reported significant inhibitory effect on cell proliferation in cell line studies on A549, Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma, MNU, DMBA, MCF-7, k562 cells, t-lymphoid Jurkat cells, b lymphoid Raji cells, erythroleukemic Hel cells, melanoma Colo 38 cells which supports the anticancer potential of it. Imperatorin has shown an antiproliferative effect on several cancer cell lines. The hydroethanolic extract of A. marmelos leaves showed a decrease in cell viability on A549 Human lung cancer cell line which works by fold change over control of the β-Catenin-m RNA and Wnt-mRNA expression of A549 and tumour growth suppression in DMBA induced carcinogenesis in rats. In human promyelocytic leukaemia, HL-60 cells, imperatorin from A. marmelos has caused cytochrome c-dependent apoptosis. Drugs interfere with the proliferative and survival signals that suppress the growth of K562 cells by blocking BCR-ABL1. Proper awareness, development of formulation and consumption of it make this drug scale up commercially.