Polyphyllins in cancer therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies

Yan Bai; Mengmeng Li; Dongjie Geng; Shouzan Liu; Ye Chen; Shan Li; Shaobo Zhang; Hongzhen Wang

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155096

Polyphyllins in cancer therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies

Phytomedicine. 2023 Dec:121:155096. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155096. Epub 2023 Sep 20.

Authors

Yan Bai¹, Mengmeng Li², Dongjie Geng², Shouzan Liu³, Ye Chen², Shan Li², Shaobo Zhang⁴, Hongzhen Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China. Electronic address: hzbaiyan@zafu.edu.cn.
² Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; Botanical Garden, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China.
⁴ Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 311300, China.
⁵ Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou 311300, China; College of Food and Health, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China. Electronic address: whz0612@zafu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37769554
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155096

Abstract

Background: Polyphyllins are secondary metabolites that inhibit the growth of various tumours; however, clinical trials on their use are lacking.

Hypothesis/purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antitumour efficacy of polyphyllins in animal models.

Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure were searched for relevant articles. The Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation's Risk of Bias tool was used to assess methodological quality. RevMan V.5.4 (Cochrane) and Stata MP 17 software were used to perform a meta-analysis.

Results: Thirty articles were analysed including 33 independent experiments and 452 animals in this paper. Overall, tumour volume (standardised mean difference [SMD]: -3.35; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: -4.27 to -2.43; p < 0.00001) and tumour weight (SMD: -3.79; 95% CI: -4.75 to -2.82; p < 0.00001) were reduced by polyphyllins, which showed a good cancer therapeutic effect; mouse weight (SMD: -0.22; 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.18; p = 0.28) was insignificantly different, which indicated that polyphyllins did not affect the growth of the mice within the test range. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms of the antitumour activity of polyphyllins were explained, including the P53, NF-kB, AMPK, and ERK signalling pathways.

Conclusion: Polyphyllins inhibit the growth of cancers within the experimental dose. However, due to heterogeneity of the results of the included studies, more studies are needed to support this conclusion.

Keywords: Cancer therapy; Meta-analysis; Polyphyllin.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Animals
China
Mice
Neoplasms* / drug therapy