Therapeutic Potential of Steroidal Alkaloids in Cancer and Other Diseases.

Abstract

Steroidal alkaloids are a class of secondary metabolites isolated from plants, amphibians, and marine invertebrates. Evidence accumulated in the recent two decades demonstrates that steroidal alkaloids have a wide range of bioactivities including anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, etc., suggesting their great potential for application. It is therefore necessary to comprehensively summarize the bioactivities, especially anticancer activities and mechanisms of steroidal alkaloids. Here we systematically highlight the anticancer profiles both in vitro and in vivo of steroidal alkaloids such as dendrogenin, solanidine, solasodine, tomatidine, cyclopamine, and their derivatives. Furthermore, other bioactivities of steroidal alkaloids are also discussed. The integrated molecular mechanisms in this review can increase our understanding on the utilization of steroidal alkaloids and contribute to the development of new drug candidates. Although the therapeutic potentials of steroidal alkaloids look promising in the preclinical and clinical studies, further pharmacokinetic and clinical studies are mandated to define their efficacy and safety in cancer and other diseases.

• Authors: Qi-Wei Jiang, Mei-Wan Chen, Ke-Jun Cheng, Pei-Zhong Yu, Xing Wei, Zhi Shi
• Journal: Medicinal research reviews (Med Res Rev) Vol. 36 Issue 1 Pg. 119-43 (Jan 2016) ISSN: 1098-1128 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25820039 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)
• Copyright: © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chemical References

• Alkaloids
• Androgens
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Estrogens
• Solanaceous Alkaloids
• Steroids
• Veratrum Alkaloids
• tomatidine
• Tomatine
• Diosgenin
• solasodine
• solanidine
• cyclopamine

Topics

• Alkaloids (chemistry, therapeutic use)
• Androgens (chemistry)
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (chemistry)
• Antineoplastic Agents (chemistry)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Diosgenin (chemistry)
• Estrogens (chemistry)
• Humans
• Mice
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Solanaceous Alkaloids (chemistry)
• Steroids (therapeutic use)
• Tomatine (analogs & derivatives, chemistry)
• Veratrum Alkaloids (chemistry)