State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2013;8:85-92. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S31636. Epub 2013 Jan 3.
Brucea javanica has demonstrated a variety of antitumoral, antimalarial, and anti- inflammatory properties. As a Chinese herbal medicine, Brucea javanica is mainly used in the treatment of lung and gastrointestinal cancers. Pharmacological research has identified the main antitumor components are tetracyclic triterpene quassinoids. However, most of these active components have poor water solubility and low bioavailability, which greatly limit their clinical application. Nanoparticulate delivery systems are urgently needed to improve the bioavailability of Brucea javanica. This paper mainly focuses on the chemical components in Brucea javanica and its pharmacological properties and nanoparticulate formulations, in an attempt to encourage further research on its active components and nanoparticulate drug delivery systems to expand its clinical applications. It is expected to improve the level of pharmaceutical research and provide a strong scientific foundation for further study on the medicinal properties of this plant.
鸦胆子具有多种抗肿瘤、抗疟和抗炎特性。作为一种中草药，鸦胆子主要用于治疗肺癌和胃肠道癌。药理研究已经确定了主要的抗肿瘤成分是四环三萜类苦木素。然而，这些活性成分中的大多数水溶性差，生物利用度低，这极大地限制了它们的临床应用。迫切需要纳米粒给药系统来提高鸦胆子的生物利用度。本文主要关注鸦胆子的化学成分及其药理学性质和纳米粒制剂，试图鼓励对其活性成分和纳米粒药物传递系统进行进一步研究，以扩大其临床应用。这有望提高药物研究水平，为进一步研究该植物的药用特性提供强有力的科学基础。
