Effects of Berberine on Liver Cancer

作者：Yiting Liu, Ebuka-Olisaemeka Nwafor, Ziwei Li, Jilin Wang, Xiaojiao Feng, Huihui Li, Bei Jia, Hongfei Ma, Jiachen He, Jiaxin Pi, Zhidong Liu · 发表于：Natural Product Communications · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1177/1934578x221102032 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Berberine and alkaloids research、Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology、Synthesis and Biological Activity

Liver cancer, otherwise known as hepatocellular carcinoma, is a chronic disease condition with an excessive deposition and growth of malignant cells in the body. The high incidence and prevalence rates of liver cancer continue to be problems, as well as its poor prognosis and therapeutic limitations involving severe drug adverse reactions linked to the use of synthetic chemotherapeutic compounds. Continuous experimental studies, as well as utilization of pure herbal-based compounds, are essential towards finding more potent cures for liver cancer. Natural bioactive compounds, particularly alkaloids (eg, berberine), have been shown to be highly beneficial in the treatment of various diseases. Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid, is obtained from stem, bark, roots, rhizomes, and leaves of several medicinal plants, including Berberis species. It is commonly synthesized from the benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline system with the incorporation of an additional carbon atom as a bridge. The multiple attributes of BBR involving effective inhibitory and cytotoxic actions against the proliferation of cancer cells have been demonstrated. The use of BBR in experimental studies (in vivo and in vitro) for over a decade for liver cancer treatment has proven to be highly effective, safe, and potent. Until now, the poor solubility of BBR remains one of the contributing factors leading to its minimal clinical bioavailability. Therefore, BBR could serve as a prospective drug candidate in the fu...