Curcumae Rhizoma: An anti-cancer traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

Curcumae Rhizoma, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma phaeocaulis, Curcuma kwangsiensis and Curcuma wenyujin, was called Ezhu in China. In the past, Curcumae Rhizoma extracts were obtained through water decoction or alternative methods, which showed significant anti-cancer effects. However, the mixed extracts contain various compound components of Curcumae Rhizoma, leading to an ambiguous mechanism of action for Curcumae Rhizoma extracts anti-cancer. Contemporary researchers have extracted the chemical components of Curcumae Rhizoma separately for experimental verification of its active ingredients in the anti-cancer field. Numerous studies demonstrated that curcumol, germacrone, β-elemene, and curcumin in Curcumae Rhizoma extracts have significant governing effects in anti-cancer activities. Pharmacological studies have shown that Curcumae Rhizoma suppresses cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, triggering apoptosis and regulating cellular autophagy to achieve anticancer effects. Here, we summarized the research progress of Curcumae Rhizoma on anti-cancer effects from 2013 to 2022, aiming to explore the deeper molecular mechanisms of Curcumae Rhizoma's active components in cancer treatment.

Keywords: Curcumae Rhizoma; Ezhu; cancer; curcumin; curcumol; germacrone; traditional Chinese medicine; β-elemene.

Fig. 1

Three species of Curcumae Rhizoma and their original plants. The plant and rhizomes of C. phaeocaulis (A, D, G). Its rhizome is grayish-brown to bluish-brown in cross-section. The plant and rhizomes of C. wenyujin (B, E, H). Its rhizome is yellow–brown to brownish brown in cross-section. The plant and rhizomes of C. kwangsiensis (C, F, I). Its rhizome is yellowish brown to brown in cross-section.

Fig. 2

Primary molecular mechanism of anti-cancer effect of Curcumae Rhizoma extract based on the comprehensive analysis of relevant literature.

Fig. 3

Chemical structure of curcumol (1), germacrone (2), β-elemene (3), curcumin (4), curzerenone (5), furanodiene (6), curdione (7), and curzeren (8) from Curcumae Rhizoma with anti-cancer activity.