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. 2014:2014:920742.
doi: 10.1155/2014/920742. Epub 2014 Jun 16.

Biomedical properties of a natural dietary plant metabolite, zerumbone, in cancer therapy and chemoprevention trials

Heshu Sulaiman Rahman  1 , Abdullah Rasedee  2 , Swee Keong Yeap  3 , Hemn Hassan Othman  4 , Max Stanley Chartrand  5 , Farideh Namvar  6 , Ahmad Bustamam Abdul  3 , Chee Wun How  3
Affiliations

Biomedical properties of a natural dietary plant metabolite, zerumbone, in cancer therapy and chemoprevention trials

Heshu Sulaiman Rahman et al. Biomed Res Int. 2014.

Abstract

Zerumbone (ZER) is a naturally occurring dietary compound, present in many natural foods consumed today. The compound derived from several plant species of the Zingiberaceae family that has been found to possess multiple biomedical properties, such as antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, evidence of efficacy is sparse, pointing to the need for a more systematic review for assessing scientific evidence to support therapeutic claims made for ZER and to identify future research needs. This review provides an updated overview of in vitro and in vivo investigations of ZER, its cancer chemopreventive properties, and mechanisms of action. Therapeutic effects of ZER were found to be scientifically plausible and could be explained partially by in vivo and in vitro pharmacological activities. Much of the research outlined in this paper will serve as a foundation to explain ZER anticancer bioactivity, which will open the door for the development of strategies in the treatment of malignancies using ZER.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Zingiber zerumbet tree (a) and inflorescences (b).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Zingiber zerumbet rhizome (a) and essential oil (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Zerumbone pure crystals (a) and chemical structure (b).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Zerumbone derivatives. (a) (±)-[6E, 10E]-3amino-2,6,9,9-tetramethylcloundeca-6,10-dienone (5), (b) (±)-[6E, 10E]-3-butylamino-2,6,9,9-tetramethylcloundeca-6,10-dienol (10),(c) (±)-[10E]-3-butylamino-6,7-epoxy-2,6,9,9-tetramethylcloundeca-10-enone (14), and (d) (±)-[2E, 6E]-10-cyano-2,6,9,9-tetramethylcloundeca-2,6-dienone (20).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Zerumbone imidazole and ring opening derivatives. (a) Parent alcohol 8 (2E,6Z,10E)-13-Hydroxy-2,9,9-trimethylcycloundeca-2,6,10-trienone, (b) NH0891 ([2E,6E,10E/Z0]-11-bromo-4,4,7-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienoic acid), and (c) 4 (10E/10Z = 3/2).
Figure 6
Figure 6
Zerumbone derivatives. (a) Azazerumbone 1, and (b) azazerumbone 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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