The use of foodstuff as natural medicines has already been established through studies demonstrating the pharmacological activities that they exhibit. Knowing the nutritional and pharmacological significance of foods enables the understanding of their role against several diseases. Among the foods that can potentially be considered as medicine, is sesame or Sesamum indicum L., which is part of the Pedaliaceae family and is composed of its lignans such as sesamin, sesamol, sesaminol and sesamolin. Its lignans have been widely studied and are known to possess antiaging, anticancer, antidiabetes, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Modern chronic diseases, which can transform into clinical diseases, are potential targets of these lignans. The prime example of chronic diseases is rheumatic inflammatory diseases, which affect the support structures and the organs of the body and can also develop into malignancies. In line with this, studies emphasizing the anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of sesame have been discussed in this review.

Recently colorectal cancer rates have increased rapidly in Taiwan. The treatment of colorectal cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a famous Asian tropical fruit. γ-Mangostin is a xanthone derivative isolated from the fruit hull. In previous studies, we found evidence of anti-inflammatory and anti-brain tumor activities in γ-mangostin. In this study, we performed further studies to assess the apoptotic effects of γ-mangostin on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells HT29. γ-Mangostin showed concentration and time-dependent cytotoxic effects on HT29 cells. Microscopic observation under Giemsa staining showed that γ-mangostin induced cellular swelling and the appearance of apoptotic bodies, characteristic of apoptosis in HT29 cells. In addition, flow cytometry analysis showed an increase of hypodiploid cells in γ-mangostin-treated HT29 cells, while enhancement of intracellular peroxide production was detected in the same γ-mangostin-treated cells by DCHDA assay and DiOC6(3) staining. In view of the above results, γ-mangostin has demonstrated anticancer activity and induces apoptosis in HT29 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. The evidence suggests that γ-mangostin could serve as a micronutrient for colon cancer prevention and is a potential lead compound for the development of anti-colon cancer agents.

Gliomas are a common type of primary brain tumor with glioblastoma multiforme accounting for the majority of human brain tumors. In this paper, high grade human malignant glioblastomas (MGs) including U87 MG and GBM 8401 were used to evaluate the antitumor effects of γ-mangostin, a xanthone derivative isolated and purified from the hull of the tropical fruit Garcinia mangostana. The γ-mangostin showed potent antiproliferative activity toward MGs in dose- and time-dependent manners. In addition, flow cytometric analysis of cell morphology in the apoptotic cells revealed an increase in hypodiploid cells in γ-mangostin treated U87 MG and GBM 8401 cells, while significant enhancement of intracellular peroxide production was detected in the same γ-mangostin treated cells by DCHDA assay and DiOC₆(3) stain. g-Mangostin induced apoptosis, which in turn mediates cytotoxicity in human MG cells was prevented by the addition of catalase. Naturally derived medicines and herbal therapies are drawing increasing attention in regard to the treatment of many health issues, and this includes the testing of new phytochemicals or nutrients for brain tumor patients. This has led to γ-mangostin being identified as a potential leading compound for the development of an anti-brain tumor agent.

The objective of this study was to synthesize the 9-/13-position substituted berberine derivatives and evaluate their cytotoxic and photocytotoxic effects against three human cancer cell lines. Among all the synthesized compounds, 9-O-dodecyl- (5e), 13-dodecyl- (6e), and 13-O-dodecyl-berberine (7e) exhibited stronger growth inhibition against three human cancer cell lines, (HepG2, HT-29 and BFTC905), in comparison with structurally related berberine (1). These three compounds also showed the photocytotoxicity in human cancer cells in a concentration-dependent and light dose-dependent manner. Through flow cytometry analysis, we found out a lipophilic group at the 9-/13-position of berberine may have facilitated its penetration into test cells and hence enhanced its photocytotoxicity on the human liver cancer cell HepG2. Further, in cell cycle analysis, 5e, 6e, and 7e induced HepG2 cells to arrest at the S phase and caused apoptosis upon irradiation. In addition, photodynamic treatment of berberine derivatives 5e, 6e, and 7e again showed a significant photocytotoxic effects on HepG2 cells, induced remarkable cell apoptosis, greatly increased intracellular ROS level, and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. These results over and again confirmed that berberine derivatives 5e, 6e, and 7e greatly enhanced photocytotoxicity. Taken together, the test data led us to conclude that berberine derivatives with a dodecyl group at the 9-/13-position could be great candidates for the anti-liver cancer medicines developments.

Scutellariae Radix is one of the well-known tocolytic Chinese herbs. Oroxylin A is isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis. The main syndrome of preterm birth is caused by uterus contractions from excitatory factors. Administration of tocolytic agents is a strategy to prevent the occurrence of preterm births. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oroxylin A on contractions of uterine strips isolated from non-pregnant female Wistar rats (250~350 g). Contractions of the uterus were induced with acetylcholine (Ach) (1 μM), PGF_2α (0.1 μM), oxytocin (10^-3 U/ml), KCl (56.3 mM), tetraethylammonium (TEA; 1 and 10 mM), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 5 mM), glipizide (30 μM), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor (LNNA; 10^-3M), a β-receptor blocker (propranolol; 10 μM), and a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin; 60 μM). The inhibitory effects of the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions by oroxylin A were antagonized with Ach (IC₅₀ 22.85 μM), PGF_2α (IC₅₀27.28 μM), oxytocin (IC₅₀ 12.34 μM), TEA; 1 and 10 mM (IC₅₀ 52.73 and 76.43 μM), 4-AP (IC₅₀ 67.16 μM), and glipizide (IC₅₀27.53 μM), but oroxylin A was not influenced by Ca²⁺-free medium, LNNA, propranolol, or indomethacin. Otherwise, oroxylin A-mediated relaxation of the rat uterus might occur through opening of uterine calcium-dependent potassium channels or adenosine triphosphate potassium channel activation. This suggests that oroxylin A is the tocolytic principle constituent of Scutellariae Radix, and oroxylin A may provide a lead compound for new tocolytic drug development in the future.