title: Inhibition of tumor progression by naturally occurring terpenoids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer is a major public health problem in India and many other parts of the world. Its two main characteristics are uncontrolled cell growth and metastasis. Natural products represent a rich source of compounds that have found many applications in various fields of medicines and therapy including cancer therapy. Effective ingredients in several plant-derived medicinal extracts are terpenoid compounds and many terpenes have biological activities and are used for the treatment of human diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review attempted to collect all available published scientific literature of eight naturally occurring terpenoids and their effect on inhibition of tumor progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review is about eight potent naturally occurring terpenoids that have been studied for their pharmacological properties in our lab and this review includes 130 references compiled from all major databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Literature survey revealed that triterpenoids, such as glycyrrhizic acid, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and nomilin, the diterpene andrographolide, and the monoterpenoids like limonene and perillic acid had shown immunomodulatory and antitumor activities. All of them could induce apoptosis in various cancer cells by activating various proapoptotic signaling cascades. Many of these terpenoids found to inhibit metastatic progression and tumor-induced angiogenesis. The molecular mechanisms that involved in these activities include inhibition of various oncogenic and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways and suppression or nuclear translocation of various transcription factors including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chemopreventive and chemoprotective effects of these compounds point toward their possible role in modern anticancer therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Amala Cancer Research Centre, Amala Nagar, Thrissur, Kerala, India. girijakuttan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Girija
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kuttan
authors.forename: Poyil
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pratheeshkumar
authors.forename: Kanjoormana Aryan
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Manu
authors.forename: Ramadasan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D013729:Terpenes