The Anticancer Effect of Natural Plant Alkaloid Isoquinolines

Abstract

Isoquinoline alkaloids-enriched herbal plants have been used as traditional folk medicine for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and analgesic effects. They induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy, leading to cell death. While the molecular mechanisms of these effects are not fully understood, it has been suggested that binding to nucleic acids or proteins, enzyme inhibition, and epigenetic modulation by isoquinoline alkaloids may play a role in the effects. This review discusses recent evidence on the molecular mechanisms by which the isoquinoline alkaloids can be a therapeutic target of cancer treatment.

Determination of Cytotoxic Activity of Sanguinaria canadensis Extracts against Human Melanoma Cells and Comparison of Their Cytotoxicity with Cytotoxicity of Some Anticancer Drugs

“…Isoguinoline alkaloids exhibit many types of biological activities such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetics, antioxidant, antidepressant, and hepatoprotective. Significant anticancer activity of these compounds was also reported [4,5].…”

On the application of 3d metals for C–H activation toward bioactive compounds: The key step for the synthesis of silver bullets

“…Several isoquinoline derivatives have been studied for their anticancer activity (compounds 166 and 167 in Scheme 54A) [243]. Zhu and co-workers reported a cobalt-catalyzed C(sp 2 )-H 2-hydrazinylpyridine-directed C-H annulation with alkynes providing new isoquinoline derivatives in 2016.…”

“…Because oximes also acted as oxidants, no additional external oxidant was required. The method was found to present a broad scope and displayed high chemoselectivity, being feasible for the ortho-amination of a wide variety of aryl amides bearing Scheme 75: (A and B) Cu-mediated amination of aryl amides using ammonia; (C) late-stage modification of probenecid (242) and bexarotene (243). various functional groups.…”

Diabetes and Cancer: Metabolic Association, Therapeutic Challenges, and the Role of Natural Products

“…Activating apoptosis and autophagy, inhibiting cell proliferation, and altering protein expression are berberine-photodynamic therapy's mechanisms in treating tumors [260]. Furthermore, berberine was utilized against breast cancer as it improved JNK phosphorylation, activated caspase-3, reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the expression of Bcl-2, and increased the release of cytochrome c and AIF [261].…”

“…Cont.↓ survivin and Bcl2 ↑ apoptosis, p53, and Bax expression in gastric cancer cells[260] ↑ JNK phosphorylation, cytochrome c and AIF, and caspase-3 ↓ mitochondrial membrane potential, and Bcl-2 expression in breast cancer[261] ↓ blood glucose ↓ risk of metabolic syndrome, levels of hemoglobin A1C and triglyceride ↓ leptin and resistin secretion ↑ insulin sensitivity and weight loss ↑ lipid metabolism and mRNA expression of adiponectin[262] …”