葫芦素类化合物的药理作用研究进展

Research Progress on Pharmacological Action of Cucurbitacins

葫芦素类化合物是一类高度氧化的葫芦烷四环三萜类化合物,多存在于民间习用药用植物中,如甜瓜蒂、药西瓜、雪胆和罗汉果等。具有抗肿瘤、抗炎、调节免疫、保肝、降血糖以及抗心肌肥大等多种药理作用,主要用于治疗肿瘤、肝脏疾病、炎症、糖尿病和心血管疾病等。为了寻找生物活性较好的葫芦素单体,探讨葫芦素类化合物的药用潜力、分子作用机制以及可能的分子靶点,为开发葫芦素类化合物的先导化合物和研发新药提供有价值的参考,该文对常见葫芦素类化合物、药理作用等进行综述。

Cucurbitacins are highly oxidized cucurbitane tetracyclic triterpenoids.They are widely found in folk medicinal plants,such as Cucumis melopedicle,Citrullus colocynthis(L.)Schrad,Hemsleya chinensis and Momordica grosvenorii.Cucurbitacins have many pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor,anti-inflammatory,immune regulation,liver protection,antidiabetic and anti-cardiac hypertrophy,which mainly used to treat a variety of tumors,liver diseases,inflammation,diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and so on.In order to find a cucurbitacin with better biological activity,and explore the medicinal potential,molecular mechanism and possible molecular targets of cucurbitacins,this review mainly aimed at summarizing the pharmacological effects and mechanism of frequent reported cucurbitacins for providing some valuable references for the research and development of lead compounds and new drugs of cucurbitacins.