Abstract
Cancer is one of the important causes of death worldwide. Despite remarkable improvements in cancer research in the past few decades, several cancer patients still cannot be cured owing to the development of drug resistance. Natural sources might have prominence as potential drug candidates. Among the several chemical classes of natural products, anthraquinones are characterized by their large structural variety, noticeable biological activity, and low toxicity. Aloe emodin, an anthraquinone derivative, is a natural compound found in the roots and rhizomes of many plants. This compound has proven its antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, and antiproliferative potential as well as ability to prevent cancer metastasis and potential in reversing multidrug resistance of cancer cells. The anticancer property of aloe emodin, a broad-spectrum inhibitory agent of cancer cells, has been detailed in many biological pathways. In cancer cells, these molecular mechanisms consist of inhibition of cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle arrest deterioration, initiation of apoptosis, antimetastasis, and antiangiogenic effect. In accordance with the strategy of developing potential drug candidates from natural products, aloe emodin's low bioavailability has been tried to be overcome by structural modifications and nanocarrier systems. Consequently, this review summarizes the antiproliferative and anticarcinogenic properties of aloe emodin, as well as the enhanced activity of its derivatives and the advantages of drug delivery systems on bioavailability.
Highlights
Cancer is an abnormality that occurs in the structure of the cell as a result of genetic or epigenetic changes
Aloe emodin (1,8dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-anthraquinone), which belongs to the anthraquinones as one of the class from quinone family of the polyketide group characterized by an amazing structural diversity of compounds, is a naturally occurring phenolic compound mainly found in Aloe, Rheum, and Rhamnus genera plants
Aloe emodin (1,8-dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-anthraquinone), which belongs to the anthraquinones as one of the class from quinone family of the polyketide group characterized by an amazing structural diversity of compounds, is a naturally occurring phenolic compound mainly found in Aloe, Rheum, and Rhamnus genera plants
Summary
Cancer is an abnormality that occurs in the structure of the cell as a result of genetic or epigenetic changes. Anthraquinones, which occupy a wide range of secondary metabolites in plants, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity are compounds with great structural diversity, pronounced biological activity, and low toxicity. They are mostly present in Fabaceae, Liliaceae, Polygonaceae, Rubiaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Scrophulariaceae families [11]. Aloe emodin (1,8dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-anthraquinone), which belongs to the anthraquinones as one of the class from quinone family of the polyketide group characterized by an amazing structural diversity of compounds, is a naturally occurring phenolic compound mainly found in Aloe, Rheum, and Rhamnus genera plants This compound displays a variety of biological activities that include laxative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, wound healing, and antineoplastic activities [12]. This review reports the presented data on the mechanisms of action of aloe emodin and summarizes main studies describing their anticancer activity, either alone or as main constituents of plant extracts, from the recent years
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