Research progress in anti-colorectal cancer mechanism of berberine / 药学学报

ABSTRACT

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy burdening people globally, with increasing morbidity and mortality nowadays, due to the alternation in the diet type and lifestyle in modern society. Berberine, a type of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, is widely present in numerous medicinal plants, particularly including Coptidis Rhizoma. Mounting evidence reveals that berberine possesses an array of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammation, anti-bacterium, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes mellitus and so on. In particular, berberine exhibits substantial inhibition on various types of cancers including CRC. Hereby, we sought to systematically review the suppressive effect of berberine on CRC through the diminishment of the proliferation and metastasis, induction of apoptosis, arrest of cell cycle, regulation of inflammatory reaction, the reverse of chemotherapeutic resistance and restoration of gut microbiota in CRC, so as to shed light on the in-depth mechanisms underlying the treatment of CRC with berberine in the clinical setting.