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The natural product Withaferin A (WA) is an important bioactive component of Withania somnifera (WS), a medicinal plant of the Solanaceae family that is used in the Indian Ayurvedic medical system, as well as many other indigenous medical practices. A structural analysis of WA indicates that it is a highly oxygenated C-28 ergostane-type steroid with a 22, 26-lactone and a 1-oxo-group (Fig. 1).
The diverse spectrum of Withaferin-A activity
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References
Shohat B et al (1976) The effect of withaferin A on human peripheral blood lymphocytes. An electron-microscope study. Cancer Lett 2(2):63–70
Srinivasan S et al (2007) Par-4-dependent apoptosis by the dietary compound withaferin A in prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res 67(1):246–53
Kaileh M et al (2007) Withaferin A strongly elicits IκB kinase beta hyperphosphorylation concomitant with potent inhibition of its kinase activity. J Biol Chem 282(7):4253–4264
Yang H, Shi G, Dou QP (2007) The tumor proteasome is a primary target for the natural anticancer compound Withaferin A isolated from “Indian winter cherry”. Mol Pharmacol 71(2):426–437
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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Damodaran, C. (2011). Withaferin A. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_6253
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_6253
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-16482-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-16483-5
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