Targeting Reactive Oxygen Species in Cancer via Chinese Herbal Medicine

Table 1

Components of TCMs targeted to decrease ROS levels and the effects of these components in cells.

Components	Herbs	Target cells	Biological effects	Molecular events	Reference
Astragaloside IV	Milkvetch root (Huang Qi)	Kidney proximal tubular HK-2 cells	Mitigate cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury	T-SOD⬆, GSH-Px⬆, CAT⬆; KIM-1⬇, MDA⬇, TNF-α⬇; Nrf2⬆, HO-1⬆, NF-κB⬇	[153]
Benzyl isothiocyanate	Lepidii semen (Ting Li Zi)	Leukemia HL-60 cells	Prevent inflammation-related carcinogenesis	NADPH oxidase⬇, ROS⬇	[154]
Catalpol	Rehmannia glutinosa libosch (Di Huang)	Pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells	Against LPS-induced apoptosis	Bcl-2⬆, BAX⬇, p-CaMK⬇, Ca2+⬇; CaMKII-dependent ASK-1/JNK/p38 pathway⬇	[155]
Crocin	Crocus sativus L. (Zang Hong Hua)	Melanoma B16F10 cells	Inhibition of melanogenesis	Tyrosinase⬇, MITF⬇, ROS⬇	[156]
Curcumin	Curcuma longa L. (Jiang Huang); Curcumae radix (Yu Jin)	Breast epithelial MCF-10A cells	Against PhIP-induced cytotoxicity	Nrf2⬆, FOXO⬆; BRCA-1, H2AFX, PARP-1, and P16⬆; Casp-3/9⬇	[157]
Dioscin	Smilacis glabrae rhizoma (Tu Fu Ling)	Ventricular H9c2 cells	Against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity	miR-140-5p⬇; ROS, MDA, SOD, GSH, and GSH-Px⬇; Nrf2 and Sirt2 pathway⬆	[158]
Daphnetin	Daphne Korean nakai (Chang Bai Rui Xiang)	Monocyte RAW264.7 cells	Against t-BHP-triggered oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction	ROS⬇, MDA⬇; SOD⬆, GSH/GSSG⬆; JNK and ER⬆; Nrf2/ARE pathway⬆	[159]
Ellagic acid	Rubus idaeus (Fu Pen Zi)	Ishikawa cells	Reduction of glycolytic flux; Against doxorubicin-induced cardiac oxidative	ROS⬇, NHE1⬇, Na+/H+ exchanger activity⬇, PHi⬇; ROS⬇, MDA⬇, XO⬇; Casp-3, p-ERK1/2, p-p38, and NF-κB⬇	[160]; [161]
Eriodictyol	Dracocephalum rupestre (Yan Qing Lan)	Pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells	Against hydrogen peroxide-induced neurotoxicity	Nrf2, HO-1, γ-GCS, and GSH⬆; Nrf2/ARE pathway⬆	[162]
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate	Green tea (Lv Cha)	Inner ear UB/OC-1 cells	Against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity	ROS⬇, ERK1/2⬇, STAT3/STAT1⬆	[163]
		Breast epithelial MCF-10A cells	Against PhIP-induced breast carcinogenesis	Ras/ERK/Nox/ROS pathway⬇	[164]
Isoliquiritigenin	Licorice (Gan Cao)	Kidney epithelial LLC-PK1 cells	Against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity	ROS⬇, Casp-3⬇, Nrf2/HO-1⬆	[165]
Luteolin	Chrysanthemi indici flos (Ye Ju Hua); Lonicerae japonicae flos (Jin Yin Hua)	Bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells	Inhibition of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis	AP-1, HIF-1α, COX-2, and iNOS⬇; MAPK, NF-κB, and EGF⬇; proinflammatory cytokine⬇; Nrf2, HO-1, NADPH, and SOD1/SOD2⬆	[166, 167]
Nexrutine	Phellodendron amurense (Huang Bai)	Pancreatic cancer cells; Capan-2, MIAPaCa-2, AsPC-1, BxPC-3	Inhibit autophagy and pancreatic cancer cell growth	ROS⬇, LC3-II⬇; STAT3⬇	[168]
Pedicularioside G	Pedicularis striata (Ma Xian Hao)	Hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells and HUVEC	Inhibition of angiogenesis and tumorigenesis	ROS⬇, VEGF⬇, IL-8⬇	[169]
Resveratrol	Polygonum cuspidatum; (Hu Zhang); Fructus mori; (Sang Shen)	Pancreatic stellate cells	Inhibition of invasion, migration, and glycolysis	ROS/miR-21⬇, PTEN⬆	[104]
		Glioblastoma U87 MG and GBM8401 cells	Enhance the efficacy of temozolomide	ROS/ERK-mediated autophagy⬇; apoptosis⬆	[170]
Rutin	Ruta graveolens L. (Yun Xiang); Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn (Ku Qiao Mai)	Neuroblastoma IMR32 cells	Ameliorates doxorubicin-induced memory deficits; Against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity	ROS/JNK/TNF/P38 MAPK pathway⬇	[171, 172]
Saikosaponin-D	Radix bupleuri (Chai Hu)	/	Reduces cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity	ROS, P38, and JNK/NF-κB pathway⬇	[173]
Sulforaphane	Codonopsis radix (Dang Shen)	Bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells	Against cadmium-induced carcinogenesis	Nrf2⬆, ROS⬇, protective autophagy⬆	[174]
Tetramethylpyrazine	Chuanxiong rhizoma (Chuan Xiong)	Kidney proximal tubular HK-2 cells	Against arsenite-induced nephrotoxicity	ROS⬇, GSH⬆, apoptosis⬇, proinflammatory signals⬇, cytotoxic autophagy⬇	[175]
Tanshinone II-A	Radix salviae (Dan Shen)	Monocyte RAW264.7 cells and stomach cancer MKN45 cells	Decrease H. pylori-induced inflammation and gastric cancer	NF-κB and MAPK(p38/JNK) pathway⬇; inflammatory substance⬇; apoptotic protein⬆	[176]