Oridonin: A promising cell death-inducing anticancer drug from China

摘要

Oridonin, an ent-kaurene diterpenoid compound isolated from the leaves of Rabdosia rubescens (Hemsl. )Hara, has been used as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anticancer agent in local folk medicine since ancient time. It has been widely recognized as a promising anticancer drug since 1970s. This review is concerned about the mechanisms underlying its anticancer activity. Oridonin induced tumor cell death through apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy without overt toxicity and side effects. Further endeavor to modify the structure of oridonin in order to improve its solubility and activity is worthwhile. Meanwhile, exploration on oridonin with other chemotherapeutics in cancer therapy is also a hot subject of the research.