Apoptosis and Anti-cancer Drug Discovery: The Power of Medicinal Fungi and Plants

Jack Ho Wong; Stephen Cho Wing Sze; Tzi Bun Ng; Randy Chi Fai Cheung; Chit Tam; Kalin Yanbo Zhang; Xiuli Dan; Yau Sang Chan; William Chi Shing Cho; Charlene Cheuk Wing Ng; Mary Miu Yee Waye; Weicheng Liang; Jinfang Zhang; Jie Yang; Xiuyun Ye; Juan Lin; Xiujuan Ye; Hexiang Wang; Fang Liu; David Wai Chan; Hextan Yuen Sheung Ngan; Ou Sha; Guohui Li; Ryan Tse; Tak Fu Tse; Helen Chan

doi:10.2174/0929867324666170720165005

Apoptosis and Anti-cancer Drug Discovery: The Power of Medicinal Fungi and Plants

Curr Med Chem. 2018;25(40):5613-5630. doi: 10.2174/0929867324666170720165005.

Authors

Jack Ho Wong¹, Stephen Cho Wing Sze², Tzi Bun Ng¹, Randy Chi Fai Cheung¹, Chit Tam¹, Kalin Yanbo Zhang², Xiuli Dan¹, Yau Sang Chan¹, William Chi Shing Cho³, Charlene Cheuk Wing Ng⁴, Mary Miu Yee Waye¹, Weicheng Liang¹, Jinfang Zhang⁵, Jie Yang⁶, Xiuyun Ye⁶, Juan Lin⁶, Xiujuan Ye⁷, Hexiang Wang⁸, Fang Liu⁹, David Wai Chan¹⁰, Hextan Yuen Sheung Ngan¹⁰, Ou Sha¹¹, Guohui Li¹², Ryan Tse¹², Tak Fu Tse¹², Helen Chan¹²

Affiliations

¹ School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
² School of Chinese Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China.
³ Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
⁴ School of Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
⁵ Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
⁶ Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Enzyme Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, Fujian, China.
⁷ Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, and Key Laboratory of Plant Virology of Fujian Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China.
⁸ State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology and Department of Microbiology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
⁹ Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
¹⁰ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
¹¹ Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China.
¹² Vita Green Pharmaceuticals (HK) Ltd, Vita Green Health Products (HK) Ltd Genning Partners Company Limited, and Hong Kong Institute of Medical Research, Hong Kong, China.

PMID: 28730971
DOI: 10.2174/0929867324666170720165005

Abstract

The purpose of this account is to review the compounds capable of eliciting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells produced by medicinal fungi and plants. The medicinal fungi discussed encompass Cordyceps, Ganoderma species, Coriolus versicolor and Hypsizygus marmoreus. The medicinal plants discussed comprise Astragalus complanatus, Dendrobium spp, Dioscorea spp, Glycyrrhiza spp, Panax notoginseng, Panax ginseng, and Momordica charantia. These compounds have the potential of development into anticancer drugs.

Keywords: Medicinal fungi; anticancer; apoptosis; medicinal plants; mitochondria..

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
Antineoplastic Agents / isolation & purification
Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
Apoptosis / drug effects*
Cell Proliferation / drug effects
Drug Discovery*
Fungi / chemistry*
Fungi / metabolism
Humans
Mitochondria / drug effects
Mitochondria / metabolism
Mitochondria / pathology
Neoplasms / drug therapy*
Neoplasms / metabolism
Neoplasms / pathology
Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*
Plants, Medicinal / metabolism

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents