Curcumae Rhizoma, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma phaeocaulis, Curcuma kwangsiensis and Curcuma wenyujin, was called Ezhu in China. In the past, Curcumae Rhizoma extracts were obtained through water decoction or alternative methods, which showed significant anti-cancer effects. However, the mixed extracts contain various compound components of Curcumae Rhizoma, leading to an ambiguous mechanism of action for Curcumae Rhizoma extracts anti-cancer. Contemporary researchers have extracted the chemical components of Curcumae Rhizoma separately for experimental verification of its active ingredients in the anti-cancer field. Numerous studies demonstrated that curcumol, germacrone, b-elemene, and curcumin in Curcumae Rhizoma extracts have significant governing effects in anti-cancer activities. Pharmacological studies have shown that Curcumae Rhizoma suppresses cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, triggering apoptosis and regulating cellular autophagy to achieve anticancer effects. Here, we summarized the research progress of Curcumae Rhizoma on anti-cancer effects from 2013 to 2022, aiming to explore the deeper molecular mechanisms of Curcumae Rhizoma’s active components in cancer treatment.
关键词:
癌症;莪术;姜黄素;莪术醇;吉马酮;中药;β-榄香烯
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This work was supported by the Guangxi Science and Technology Major Project (No. GUIKE AA22096029 and No. AA23023035), and Macao Young Scholars Program (No. AM2022022). Furthermore, we would like to acknowledge and thank Prof. Jiagang Deng, Prof. Kenan Huang, and Prof. Liying Yu for providing Curcumae Rhizoma and their original plant photos.
Yu Luo a, Lin Zhu a, Zhengyu Ren a, Jian Xiao b, Erwei Hao b, Jiahong Lu a, Jinmin Zhao c, Chun Yao b,?, Yitao Wang a, d, Hua Luo a, c,?. Curcumae Rhizoma: An anti-cancer traditional Chinese medicine[J]. Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM),2025,17(3):428-447
