摘要
In this short review, the current knowledge on the chemical constituents and anticancer properties of Cerbera odollam and Cerbera manghas is updated with some description of their botany and uses. Although these two closely-related coastal tree species have overlapping geographical distribution, they can be distinguished by the eye colour of flowers and the shape of fruits. Chemical constituents of C. odollam and C. manghas include lignans, iridoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides(cardenolides), flavonoids, phenolic acids and steroids. Cardiac glycosides of cerberin, dehydrocerberin, neriifolin, tanghinin, deacetyltanghinin and tanghinigenin possess promising anticancer properties with apoptotic activities. However, these cardiac glycosides are also cardiotoxic. Fatal cases of suicides by ingesting Cerbera fruits or seeds have been reported in India and Sri Lanka. In two suicide cases, one in Taiwan and another in the United States, the patients recovered completely. In New Caledonia, four death-threatening cases of poisoning(two were fatal) occurred through consuming toxic coconut crabs. Taken together, both C. odollam and C. manghas are endowed with cardiac glycosides, which have useful pharmacological properties but lethal toxicity.
In this short review, the current knowledge on the chemical constituents and anticancer properties of Cerbera odollam and Cerbera manghas is updated with some description of their botany and uses. Although these two closely-related coastal tree species have overlapping geographical distribution, they can be distinguished by the eye colour of flowers and the shape of fruits. Chemical constituents of C. odollam and C. manghas include lignans, iridoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides（cardenolides）, flavonoids, phenolic acids and steroids. Cardiac glycosides of cerberin, dehydrocerberin, neriifolin, tanghinin, deacetyltanghinin and tanghinigenin possess promising anticancer properties with apoptotic activities. However, these cardiac glycosides are also cardiotoxic. Fatal cases of suicides by ingesting Cerbera fruits or seeds have been reported in India and Sri Lanka. In two suicide cases, one in Taiwan and another in the United States, the patients recovered completely. In New Caledonia, four death-threatening cases of poisoning（two were fatal） occurred through consuming toxic coconut crabs. Taken together, both C. odollam and C. manghas are endowed with cardiac glycosides, which have useful pharmacological properties but lethal toxicity.
