Research progress on anti-tumor effects of lupeol / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Lupeol is a kind of triterpenoid widely found in a variety of Chinese herbal medicines and food-derived plants. It has multiple pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and promoting skin healing. Recent studies have found that lupeol has anti-tumor effects on liver cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer and other tumor cells. The mechanisms of action are mainly by inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, inducing tumor cell apoptosis, and suppressing tumor cell invasion and metastasis. In this review, the anti-tumor research progress, pharmacological activities and molecular mechanisms of lupeol both in vitro and in vivo are reviewed and summarized to provide a theoretical basis for lupeol as a potential anti-tumor drug, and provide references for its anti-tumor mechanism.