Gambogic Acid as Anticancer Agent: A Review

Gambogic acid, a common traditional Chinese medicine and widely distributed throughout South China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. It is prenylated xanthone which is the significant bioactive compound of gamboge. Gambogic acid is known as a strong apoptotic inducer in cancer cells. It has been found as strong anticancer agent against various types of cancer cells lines such as breast cancer, pancreatic, and cervical cancer. It induces apoptosis, down regulates the anti-apoptotic proteins (survivin and BCL2,) and down regulates the activities of P-glycoprotein in drug sensitive human breast MCF-7 and drug-resistant MCF-7/ADR cells. Similarly, it also exerts alteration in P13K, AKT, p21, MMP-2 &-9, and phosphorylated-AKT expressions. The current review highlights the anticancer and chemo-preventive perspectives of gambogic acid and its mechanistic role against human and animal cancers.

A Rapid Method for the Retrieval of Bioactive Xanthone from Garcinia Mangostana: A Case Study of α-Mangostin

Natural products have been used as the functional food and alternative treatment to combat various diseases for centuries. A handful of bioactive compounds that are available clinically such as antibiotic, anti-neurodegeneration, and anticancer drugs were derived from natural products. Recent study showed that α-mangostin, a natural occurring prenylated xanthone, possesses a wide variety of pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-neurodegenerative. In view of the pharmacological importance of α-mangostin, a rapid extraction method is paramount importance to recover the α-mangostin from natural resources to cope the therapeutic needs and potential for future clinical translation. The yield of α-mangostin was 9.2 g/kg DW. This study presents a simple, cost effective, and rapid extraction with identification of α-mangostin from the pericarp of the mangosteen fruit.

Anti-bacterial Activity of Prenylated Xanthone from The Bark of Garcinia lowa

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of a ethyl acetate extract of Garcinia lowa bark has led to the isolation and identification of a known prenylated xanthone, mangosharin, (2,6-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-5-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-xanthone (1, 15.4 mg) The structure of the compound was identified from analysis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with previous studies.Compound 1 showed anti-bacterial activity against Sreptococcus mutans with MIC value of 7.25 mg/mL. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/jkv.v0i0.4057