Terpenoids as potential chemopreventive and therapeutic agents in liver cancer

Abstract

Despite significant advances in medicine, liver cancer, predominantly hepatocellular carcinoma remains a major cause of death in the United States as well as the rest of the world. As limited treatment options are currently available to patients with liver cancer, novel preventive control and effective therapeutic approaches are considered to be reasonable and decisive measures to combat this disease. Several naturally occurring dietary and non-dietary phytochemicals have shown enormous potential in the prevention and treatment of several cancers, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract. Terpenoids, the largest group of phytochemicals, traditionally used for medicinal purposes in India and China, are currently being explored as anticancer agents in clinical trials. Terpenoids (also called "isoprenoids") are secondary metabolites occurring in most organisms, particularly plants. More than 40 000 individual terpenoids are known to exist in nature with new compounds being discovered every year. A large number of terpenoids exhibit cytotoxicity against a variety of tumor cells and cancer preventive as well as anticancer efficacy in preclinical animal models. This review critically examines the potential role of naturally occurring terpenoids, from diverse origins, in the chemoprevention and treatment of liver tumors. Both in vitro and in vivo effects of these agents and related cellular and molecular mechanisms are highlighted. Potential challenges and future directions involved in the advancement of these promising natural compounds in the chemoprevention and therapy of human liver cancer are also discussed.

HISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF TRICHOMES AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM Euphrasia stricta D. Wolff ex J.F. Lehm. (OROBANCHACEAE)

“…The data reported by other authors also showed that these substances are volatile constituents in Euphrasia stricta and E. rostkoviana [Miladinovic et al 2014, Novy et al 2015. The terpene compounds are responsible for the antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties [Thoppil and Bishayee 2011].…”

CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF AQUADEST, ETHANOLIC, AND CHLOROFORM EXTRACTS OF <i>Spathoglottis plicata</i> Blume ON BREAST CANCER CELLS LINE (T47D CELLS)

“…Flavonoid also have potency on inhibition of carcinogen metabolic inhibition, antiproliferation, apoptosis induction, antioxidants activity, and angiogenesis inhibition (Ren et al, 2003;Kanadaswami et al, 2005). Terpenoid, such as monoterpene, diterpene, triterpene, tetraterpene, and sesquiterpene, have potency as chemotherapeutic and therapeutic agents to the liver cancer (Thoppil & Bishayee, 2011).…”

Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Studies on the Mucus of Indian Volute Melo broderipii (Gmelin 1758) and Spider Conch Lambis lambis (Linn 1758)

“…Mucus also contain chemical deterrents, as shown for shelled gastropods and nudibranchs which may be attributed to the observed cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. Many of these deterrents are apoptosis, and suppress tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis through regulation of various transcription and growth factors as well as intracellular signaling mechanisms [24]. Lastly, proteins from marine animals such as molluscs have been shown to have cytotoxic effect on several human cancer cell lines [11].…”