Abstract
Berberine (BBR), a potential bioactive agent, has remarkable health benefits. A substantial amount of research has been conducted to date to establish the anticancer potential of BBR. The present review consolidates salient information concerning the promising anticancer activity of this compound. The therapeutic efficacy of BBR has been reported in several studies regarding colon, breast, pancreatic, liver, oral, bone, cutaneous, prostate, intestine, and thyroid cancers. BBR prevents cancer cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and controlling the cell cycle as well as autophagy. BBR also hinders tumor cell invasion and metastasis by down-regulating metastasis-related proteins. Moreover, BBR is also beneficial in the early stages of cancer development by lowering epithelial–mesenchymal transition protein expression. Despite its significance as a potentially promising drug candidate, there are currently no pure berberine preparations approved to treat specific ailments. Hence, this review highlights our current comprehensive knowledge of sources, extraction methods, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic profiles of berberine, as well as the proposed mechanisms of action associated with its anticancer potential. The information presented here will help provide a baseline for researchers, scientists, and drug developers regarding the use of berberine as a promising candidate in treating different types of cancers.
Highlights
Cancer is a disease that has become a significant public health and socio-economic concern worldwide
These results suggest that berberine may be a suitable potential candidate for the development of a Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) drug
Berberine suppresses the viability of colon cancer cells and regulates the three-gene network microRNA-21-integrin β4 (ITGβ4)—programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) [60]
Summary
Cancer is a disease that has become a significant public health and socio-economic concern worldwide. Isoquinoline alkaloids are predominantly present in diverse plant families such as Berberidaceace, Cactaceae, Rutaceae, Fumariaceae, Papaveraceace, Magnoliaeace, Menispermaceae, Amaryllidaceae, and Ranunculaceae. These alkaloids have remarkable biological and pharmacological properties such as antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antihypercholesterolemic, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial [4,5,6]. Berberine (BBR) is a benzyl tetra isoquinoline alkaloid (2,3-methylenedioxy-9,10-dimethoxy protoberberine chloride, C20H18NO4+) (Figure 1) with a molar mass of 336.36122 g/mol It is a well-known phytochemical compound extracted from the roots of various plants such as Berberis vulgaris, B. aristotle, B. aquifolium, Hydrastus canadensis, Pellodendron chenins, and Coptis rhizomes [7,8]. The same authors reported that after a chronic administration of 15 mg/kg body
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