Sesamol as a potent anticancer compound: from chemistry to cellular interactions

Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2024 Jul;397(7):4961-4979. doi: 10.1007/s00210-023-02919-2. Epub 2024 Jan 5.

Abstract

Sesamol (SM), a well-known component isolated from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum), used in traditional medicines in treating numerous ailments. However, numerous molecular investigations revealed the various mechanisms behind its activity, emphasizing its antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis-inducing properties, preventing cancer cell spread to distant organs. In several cells derived from various malignant tissues, SM-regulated signal transduction pathways and cellular targets have been identified. This review paper comprehensively describes the anticancer properties of SM and SM-viable anticancer drugs. Additionally, the interactions of this natural substance with standard anticancer drugs are examined, and the benefits of using nanotechnology in SM applications are explored. This makes SM a prime example of how ethnopharmacological knowledge can be applied to the development of contemporary drugs.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Anticancer; Antiproliferative; Apoptosis; Ethnopharmacological; Nanotechnology; Sesamol.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / isolation & purification
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzodioxoles* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phenols* / chemistry
  • Phenols* / pharmacology

Substances

  • sesamol
  • Benzodioxoles
  • Phenols
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Antineoplastic Agents