Abstract
Traditional Chinese medicine relies on brusatol to combat various diseases, including cancer. Considering the wide variety of natural substances and their inexpensive cost, they could be of significant priority in the health care system. These include anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and wide-ranging pharmacological uses in cancer research, among other therapeutic benefits. Due to chemotherapeutic medications’ wide variety of adverse effects and brusatol safe anti-tumor activity with low side effects, numerous investigations have been carried out to understand its anticancer impact. Literature searches were conducted to examine and review articles and studies in vivo and/or in vitro on the anticancer activity of brusatol. The cytotoxic and antitumor activities of this natural substance have been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo respectively. Various signal transduction pathways like mitogen-activated protein kinases, tumor protein p53 gene (P53), P53-independent pathway, apoptosis, phosphoinositide-3-kinase/Ak strain transforming pathway, Wingless-related integration site/β-catenin signaling, Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT), and nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways mediate the antitumoral effects of this drug. Moreover, it is also reported as a specific inhibitor of the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. In this review, the molecular basis of brusatol action on several forms of cancer cells is summarized. The development of this natural product for treating various malignancies would be easier with further investigation into these anticancer mechanisms.
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Marar, P.V., Kumar, A., Swami, R. et al. Unlocking the Potential of Brusatol as an Antitumoral Agent: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Benefits. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 34, 250–260 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-023-00493-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-023-00493-5