Traditional Chinese Medicines, unique biomedical and pharmaceutical resources, have been widely used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prevention and treatment. Accumulated Chinese herb-derived compounds with significant anti-cancer effects against HCC have been identified. Chinese herbal compounds are effective in preventing carcinogenesis, inhibiting cell proliferation, arresting cell cycle, inducing apoptosis, autophagy, cell senescence and anoikis, inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metastasis and angiogenesis, regulating immune function, reversing drug resistance and enhancing the effects of chemotherapy in HCC. This paper comprehensively reviews these compounds and their effects on HCC. Finally, the perspectives and rational application of herbal compounds for HCC management are discussed.
Keywords: Chinese herbal compound; hepatocellular carcinoma; phytopharmacology; prevention; treatment.