Review Volume 9, Issue 6 pp 1477—1536
Effects of resveratrol, curcumin, berberine and other nutraceuticals on aging, cancer development, cancer stem cells and microRNAs
- 1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
- 2 Department of Comparative Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
- 3 Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Section, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA
- 4 Department of Foundational Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27834, USA
- 5 Department of Physiological Sciences, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil
- 6 Unit of Oncologic Diseases, ASP-Catania, Catania 95100, Italy
- 7 Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- 8 Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- 9 Chair of Medical Biochemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
- 10 Department of Animal Molecular Physiology and Neurobiology, Wroclaw University, Wroclaw, Poland
- 11 Naxospharma, Novate Milanese 20026, Italy
- 12 Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Oncological, Clinical and General Pathology Section, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- 13 Biomedical Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
- 14 Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Biomedicina e Immunologia Molecolare “Alberto Monroy”, Palermo, Italy
Received: May 19, 2017 Accepted: June 4, 2017 Published: June 12, 2017
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101250How to Cite
Abstract
Natural products or nutraceuticals have been shown to elicit anti-aging, anti-cancer and other health-enhancing effects. A key target of the effects of natural products may be the regulation of microRNA (miR) expression which results in cell death or prevents aging, diabetes, cardiovascular and other diseases. This review will focus on a few natural products, especially on resveratrol (RES), curcumin (CUR) and berberine (BBR). RES is obtained from the skins of grapes and other fruits and berries. RES may extend human lifespan by activating the sirtuins and SIRT1 molecules. CUR is isolated from the root of turmeric (Curcuma longa). CUR is currently used in the treatment of many disorders, especially in those involving an inflammatory process. CUR and modified derivatives have been shown to have potent anti-cancer effects, especially on cancer stem cells (CSC). BBR is also isolated from various plants (e.g., Coptis chinensis) and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat diseases such as adult- onset diabetes. Understanding the benefits of these and other nutraceuticals may result in approaches to improve human health.