Herbal Medicine and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Applications and Challenges

Table 1

Summary of anti-HCC herbal compounds.

Compounds	Possible mechanisms of anti-HCC	References
Curcumin	Inhibits proliferation; induces apoptosis; inhibits p21(ras), PCNA, cyclin E, factor NF-𝜅 and p34(cdc2); anti-angiogenesis; inhibits MMP-9 secretion; inhibits histone deacetylase; enhances P21(WAF1/CIP1) protein; elevates mitochondrial membrane potential; attenuates ROS	[27–40]
Resveratrol	Inhibits proliferation; induces apoptosis; downregulates Bcl-2 and upregulates Bax expression; reduces ROS; induces cell-cycle arrest in G1 and G2/M phases; modulates NO/NOS; increases gap-junctional intercellular communication; sharps increment of the mitochondria membrane potential; inhibits TNF-alpha-mediated MMP-9 expression; suppresses the ROS-potentiated invasion.	[41–51]
Silibinin	Causes G1 arrest; induces Kip1/p27; decreases cyclin D1, cyclin D3, cyclin E, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-2, and CDK4; downregulates metalloproteinase-2; increases acetylation of histone H3 and H4; inhibits cell proliferation; inhibits NO production and of ERK 1/2 cascade.	[52–59]
Tanshinone IIA	Induces apoptosis; induces cell arrested in G(0)/G(1); downregulates bcl-2 and c-myc; upregulates fas, bax, p53; inhibits DNA synthesis.	[60–69]