Isolation of farnesyltransferase inhibitors from herbal medicines

Anti-cancer effects of cinnamon: Insights into its apoptosis effects

Cancer is known as a leading cause of death worldwide. In the last two decades, the incidence of cancer has been dramatically increased mostly due to lifestyle changes. The importance of this issue has attracted further attention to discover novel therapies to prevent and treat cancers. According to previous studies, drugs used to treat cancer have shown significant limitations. Therefore, the role of herbal medicines alone or in combination with chemotherapy drugs has been extensively studied in cancer treatment. Cinnamon is a natural component showing a wide range of pharmacological functions including anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-cancer activities. Impaired apoptosis plays critical roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. Increasing evidence indicates that cinnamon, as a therapeutic agent, has anti-cancer effects via affecting numerous apoptosis-related pathways in cancer cells. Here, we highlighted anticancer properties of cinnamon, particularly through targeting apoptosis-related mechanisms.

Cinnamaldehydes in Cancer Chemotherapy

Cinnamaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde-derived compounds are candidates for the development of anticancer drugs that have received extensive research attention. In this review, we summarize recent findings detailing the positive and negative aspects of cinnamaldehyde and its derivatives as potential anticancer drug candidates. Furthermore, we describe the in vivo pharmacokinetics and metabolism of cinnamaldehydes. The oxidative and antioxidative properties of cinnamaldehydes, which contribute to their potential in chemotherapy, have also been discussed. Moreover, the mechanism(s) by which cinnamaldehydes induce apoptosis in cancer cells have been explored. In addition, evidence of the regulatory effects of cinnamaldehydes on cancer cell invasion and metastasis has been described. Finally, the application of cinnamaldehydes in treating various types of cancer, including breast, prostate, and colon cancers, has been discussed in detail. The effects of cinnamaldehydes on leukemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, and oral cancer have been summarized briefly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dimeric guaianolides from Artemisia absinthium

Five dimeric guaianolides, absinthins A-E, and seven known dimeric guaianolides were isolated from Artemisia absinthium. Their structures were elucidated based on 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments, including (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, DEPT, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY, and through HRESIMS data analysis. The absolute configuration of the known compound, anabsinthin, was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The isolated compounds were tested to assess their inhibitory activities on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in BV-2 cells; absinthin C and isoanabsinthin exhibited significant inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 1.52 and 1.98μM, respectively.