title: [Progress in anti-cancer research of American ginseng: with an example of colorectal cancer].
abstract: Cancer is a group of various diseases, all of which involve unregulated cell growth. Many currently used chemotherapeutic drugs are derived from botanicals. Thus, searching botanical sources for novel oncology medications, including identifying the lead compounds and their derivatives for chemoprevention, is an essential step in advancing cancer therapeutics. This article mainly focuses on the data from our previous American ginseng anti-colon cancer studies. In addition to the potential role of American ginseng on cancer, the herb as an adjuvant for cancer treatment is presented, including describing the attenuation of adverse events induced by chemotherapeutic agents and increasing of quality of cancer patient life. Since heat-treated American ginseng and ginsenoside gut microbiome metabolites showed significant increases in cancer chemopreventive effects, active constituents of the steamed herb and their gut metabolites should be clearly identified, and the structure-activity relationship should be further explored. Data obtained from herbal medicine studies and clinical trials will help develop useful anticancer agents.
authors.affiliation: Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Chun-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Chong-Zhi
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D036145:Ginsenosides; C442759:ginsenoside Rb1; C112772:ginsenoside compound K