Antitumor Activities of Kushen: Literature Review

作者：Mingyu Sun, Hongyan Cao, Lin Sun, Shu Dong, Yanqin Bian, Jun Han, Lijun Zhang, Shuang Ren, Yiyang Hu, Chenghai Liu, Lieming Xu, Ping Liu · 发表于：Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 年份：2012 · DOI：10.1155/2012/373219 · 被引用次数：102 · 研究领域：Bioactive natural compounds、Biological and pharmacological studies of plants、Synthesis of Organic Compounds

To discover and develop novel natural compounds with therapeutic selectivity or that can preferentially kill cancer cells without significant toxicity to normal cells is an important area in cancer chemotherapy. Kushen, the dried roots of Sophora flavescens Aiton, has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammatory diseases and cancer. Kushen alkaloids (KS-As) and kushen flavonoids (KS-Fs) are well-characterized components in kushen. KS-As containing oxymatrine, matrine, and total alkaloids have been developed in China as anticancer drugs. More potent antitumor activities were identified in KS-Fs than in KS-As in vitro and in vivo. KS-Fs may be developed as novel antitumor agents.