Volume 86, Issue 9, 1 November 2013, Pages 1239–1247
Commentary
Anticancer bioactivity of compounds from medicinal plants used in European medieval traditions
- a Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer, Hôpital Kirchberg, L-2540 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- b Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, 599 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
- Received 1 May 2013, Accepted 6 August 2013, Available online 20 August 2013
Abstract
Since
centuries, natural compounds from plants, animals and microorganisms
were used in medicinal traditions to treat various diseases without a
solid scientific basis. Recent studies have shown that plants that were
used or are still used in the medieval European medicine are able to
provide relieve for many diseases including cancer. Here we summarize
impact and effect of selected purified active natural compounds from
plants used in European medieval medicinal traditions on cancer
hallmarks and enabling characteristics identified by Hanahan and
Weinberg. The aim of this commentary is to discuss the pharmacological
effect of pure compounds originally discovered in plants with
therapeutic medieval use. Whereas many reviews deal with Ayurvedic
traditions and traditional Chinese medicine, to our knowledge, the
molecular basis of European medieval medicinal approaches are much less
documented.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Natural compounds;
- Cancer hallmarks;
- Inflammation signaling;
- Cell cycle;
- Cell death;
- Immune system;
- Tumor microenvironment
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Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
