Cucurbitacins: Bioactivities and synergistic effect with small-molecule drugs

Abstract

Cucurbitacins, widely found in plants belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae, are highly oxidized tetracyclic triterpenes with various bioactivities, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and liver protection. Among which, the anticancer activity of cucurbitacins is well studied. Cucurbitacins have been reported to promote apoptosis through the JAK/STAT3 pathway and the MAPK pathway. Cucurbitacins can block the cell cycle by inhibiting cyclins. They also accelerate autophagy and inhibit the invasion and migration of cancer cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated that cucurbitacins exhibit a synergistic effect in the combination with small-molecule drugs. This paper reviews the bioactivities of cucurbitacins, preferably anticancer activity. Herein, the synergistic effect of the combination of cucurbitacins and small-molecule drugs has also been summarized with the aim to promote the probability of the use of cucurbitacins as adjunct drugs in clinical treatment.

Keywords

• Cucurbitacins
• Biological activities
• Synergistic effect
• Adjunct drugs