title: Anti-cancer natural products isolated from chinese medicinal herbs.
abstract: In recent years, a number of natural products isolated from Chinese herbs have been found to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, suppress angiogenesis, retard metastasis and enhance chemotherapy, exhibiting anti-cancer potential both in vitro and in vivo. This article summarizes recent advances in in vitro and in vivo research on the anti-cancer effects and related mechanisms of some promising natural products. These natural products are also reviewed for their therapeutic potentials, including flavonoids (gambogic acid, curcumin, wogonin and silibinin), alkaloids (berberine), terpenes (artemisinin, β-elemene, oridonin, triptolide, and ursolic acid), quinones (shikonin and emodin) and saponins (ginsenoside Rg3), which are isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs. In particular, the discovery of the new use of artemisinin derivatives as excellent anti-cancer drugs is also reviewed.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 548 Binwen Rd., Binjiang Dist., Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Jinjian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|College of Pharmacy, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.1 Huatuo Rd., Shangjie University Town, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China.
authors.forename: Mingqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yingbo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Meiwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Zhangfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Zengtao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yuanye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Jiajie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Xiuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.|Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Toma's Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang