Title:Honokiol: A Novel Natural Agent for Cancer Prevention and Therapy
Volume: 12
Issue: 10
Author(s): S. Arora, S. Singh, G.A. Piazza, C.M. Contreras, J. Panyam and A.P. Singh
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Honokiol, chemoprevention, chemotherapy, natural agent, Magnolia, traditional Chinese medicine, cancer, aspirin, taxol, natural products, anti-tumor activity, carcinoma, cytotoxicity, human myelogenous leukemia, adenocarcinoma
Abstract: Honokiol (3’,5-di-(2-propenyl)-1,1’-biphenyl-2,4’-diol) is a bioactive natural product derived from
Magnolia spp. Recent studies have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, anti-oxidative and anticancer
properties of honokiol in vitro and in preclinical models. Honokiol targets multiple signaling pathways
including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), signal transducers and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3),
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mammalian target of rapamycin (m-TOR), which have great
relevance during cancer initiation and progression. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic profile of honokiol has
revealed a desirable spectrum of bioavailability after intravenous administration in animal models, thus making
it a suitable agent for clinical trials. In this review, we discuss recent data describing the molecular targets of
honokiol and its anti-cancer activities against various malignancies in pre-clinical models. Evaluation of
honokiol in clinical trials will be the next step towards its possible human applications.
