Lupane-type triterpenes and their anti-cancer activities against most common malignant tumors: A review

• Published in: EXCLI journal Vol. 15; pp. 758 - 771
• Main Authors: Cháirez-Ramírez, M H, Moreno-Jiménez, M R, González-Laredo, R F, Gallegos-Infante, J A, Rocha-Guzmán, Nuria Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors 01-01-2016
• Subjects: Review; betulin; signaling pathway; cancer; lupeol; betulinic acid
• ISSN: 1611-2156; 1611-2156
• DOI: 10.17179/excli2016-642

In recent times, a great deal of interest has been motivated on plant derived compounds known as nutraceuticals. These compounds exert important beneficial activities that improve people's health status when are consumed regularly, and now they appear as a viable option to explore their possible therapeutic effects against diseases like cancer. Particularly, lupane-type triterpenes have shown great ability to modulate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways and processes, including NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt, apoptosis, and many other routes related to proliferation or cell death, which are uncontrolled in malignant tumors. These investigations have promoted
and
studies, searching their mechanisms of action; although more research is still needed to prove its potential in human clinical trials. This review focuses on the ability of betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol to show benefits against the most common types of malignant tumors, which are considered a major global threat for public health.