AUTHOR=Cai Yuan , Gao Kewa , Peng Bi , Xu Zhijie , Peng Jinwu , Li Juanni , Chen Xi , Zeng Shuangshuang , Hu Kuan , Yan Yuanliang 

TITLE=Alantolactone: A Natural Plant Extract as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.781033

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.781033

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Alantolactone (ALT) is a natural compound extracted from Chinese traditional medicine <italic>Inula helenium L.</italic> with therapeutic potential in the treatment of various diseases. Recently, <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic> studies have indicated cytotoxic effects of ALT on various cancers, including liver cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, etc. The inhibitory effects of ALT depend on several cancer-associated signaling pathways and abnormal regulatory factors in cancer cells. Moreover, emerging studies have reported several promising strategies to enhance the oral bioavailability of ALT, such as combining ALT with other herbs and using ALT-entrapped nanostructured carriers. In this review, studies on the anti-tumor roles of ALT are mainly summarized, and the underlying molecular mechanisms of ALT exerting anticancer effects on cells investigated in animal-based studies are also discussed.</p>