Positive Health Online
Your Country
![[Image: http://www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk]](/img/original/BannerAvatar/2836.df7d2315253110ff5b3a566f94871f99.jpg "http://www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk")
![[Image: http://www.balens.co.uk]](/img/original/BannerAvatar/2148.50367fa908013fae0a7f1a171543ef92.jpg "http://www.balens.co.uk")
![[Image: https://www.water-for-health.co.uk/]](/img/original/BannerAvatar/4046.12831f50177f8848ee87b8e94411d6b3.jpg "https://www.water-for-health.co.uk/")
![[Image: http://www.drsgoodman.com/books-goodman/52-nutrition-and-cancer]](/img/original/BannerAvatar/1859.1296090fd8385e7ceff51c8011559097.jpg "http://www.drsgoodman.com/books-goodman/52-nutrition-and-cancer")
Research: SUN and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 178
Abstract
Background
Natural products represent a rich reservoir of potential small chemical molecules exhibiting antiproliferation and anticancer properties. An example is berberine, a protoberberine alkaloid widely distributed in medical plants used in traditional Chinese prescriptions.
Methodology
Recent advances have shown that berberine exerts anticancer activities both in vitro and in vivo through different mechanisms.
Results
Berberine shows inhibitory effects on the proliferation and reproduction of certain tumourigenic microorganisms and viruses, such as Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis B virus. Transcriptional regulation of some oncogene and carcinogenesis-related gene expression and interaction with both DNA and RNA are also well documented. Besides, berberine is a broad spectrum enzyme inhibitor, which affects N-acetyltransferase, cyclooxygenase-2, and topoisomerase activities and gene/protein expression. These actions, together with the regulation of reactive oxygen species production, mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and nuclear factor-kappaB activation might underlie its antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects.
Conclusion
More importantly, the suppression of tumour growth and metastasis, the beneficial application in combined medication, and the improvement of multidrug resistance both in vivo and in vitro clearly show its potential as an alternative medicine for tumour chemotherapy.
References
Sun Y, Xun K, Wang Y and Chen X. A systematic review of the anticancer properties of berberine, a natural product from Chinese herbs. [Review] [150 refs]. Anti-Cancer Drugs. 20(9): 757-69. Oct 2009.
Comment
This research from China is a perfect example of how traditional, non-drug approaches - Chinese Herbal Medicine in this case - can be studied to discover the most up-to-date molecular biological properties of natural products. So berberine suppresses tumour growth and metastasis, is a broad spectrum enzyme inhibitor and also regulates gene expression with DNA and RNA, as well as its other properties documented above. These properties make it a viable candidate for tumour chemotherapy.
