Laboratory of Neuroscience and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil.
Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Integrative Physiology (LNFI), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil.
Phytother Res. 2021 Sep;35(9):4957-4970. doi: 10.1002/ptr.7125. Epub 2021 Apr 17.
Limonene (LIM) is a monoterpene, which is abundant in essential oils of Citrus fruits peels (Rutaceae). More recently, LIM, as a potential natural anticancer compound, has attracted major attention and exerted a chemopreventive activity, stimulating the detoxification of carcinogenic compounds and limiting tumor growth and angiogenesis in various cancer models. Twenty-six (26) articles were selected based on previously established criteria. Anticancer activity of LIM was related to the inhibition of tumor initiation, growth, and angiogenesis and the induction of cancer cells apoptosis. LIM was able to increase Bax expression, release cytochrome c, and activate the caspase pathway. In addition, LIM increased the expression of p53 and decreased the activity of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways. LIM also decreased the expression of VEGF and increased the activities of the Man-6-P / IGF2R and TGF-βIIR receptors. These results highlight LIM as an abundant natural molecule with low toxicity and pleiotropic pharmacological activity in cancer cells, targeting various cell-signaling pathways critically involved in the initiation, growth, and chemoresistance of cancer cells.
柠檬烯（LIM）是一种单萜类化合物，大量存在于柑橘类水果皮的精油（芸香科）中。最近，LIM 作为一种有潜力的天然抗癌化合物，引起了人们的极大关注，并发挥了化学预防作用，刺激致癌化合物的解毒，并限制各种癌症模型中的肿瘤生长和血管生成。根据先前建立的标准，选择了 26 篇文章。LIM 的抗癌活性与抑制肿瘤起始、生长和血管生成以及诱导癌细胞凋亡有关。LIM 能够增加 Bax 的表达，释放细胞色素 c，并激活 caspase 途径。此外，LIM 增加了 p53 的表达，降低了 Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK 和 PI3K/Akt 途径的活性。LIM 还降低了 VEGF 的表达，增加了 Man-6-P/IGF2R 和 TGF-βIIR 受体的活性。这些结果强调了 LIM 作为一种丰富的天然分子，具有低毒性和在癌细胞中具有多种药理学活性，靶向参与癌细胞起始、生长和化疗耐药性的各种细胞信号通路。
