Berberine: Potential preventive and therapeutic strategies for human colorectal cancer

• Published in: Cell biochemistry and function Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. e4033 - n/a
• Main Authors: Feng, Yuqian, Lu, Jiamin, Jiang, Jing, Wang, Menglei, Guo, Kaibo, Lin, Shengyou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Antitumor activity; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Berberine; Berberine - pharmacology; Berberine - therapeutic use; Cancer; Cell cycle; Cell growth; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Colorectal cancer; Colorectal carcinoma; Colorectal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - prevention & control; Digestive system; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - drug effects; Gastrointestinal tract; gut microbiome; Herbal medicine; Homeostasis; Humans; Inflammation; inflammatory bowel disease; Intestinal microflora; Lesions; Metabolism; Metastases; Metastasis; Microbiomes; Mucosa; Natural products; precancerous lesions; Prevention; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Rhizomes; Risk factors; colorectal cancer; gut microbiome; precancerous lesions; inflammatory bowel disease; berberine
• ISSN: 0263-6484; 1099-0844; 1099-0844
• DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4033

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common digestive tract tumor, with incidences continuing to rise. Although modern medicine has extended the survival time of CRC patients, its adverse effects and the financial burden cannot be ignored. CRC is a multi‐step process and can be caused by the disturbance of gut microbiome and chronic inflammation's stimulation. Additionally, the presence of precancerous lesions is also a risk factor for CRC. Consequently, scientists are increasingly interested in identifying multi‐target, safe, and economical herbal medicine and natural products. This paper summarizes berberine's (BBR) regulatory mechanisms in the occurrence and development of CRC. The findings indicate that BBR regulates gut microbiome homeostasis and controls mucosal inflammation to prevent CRC. In the CRC stage, BBR inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, blocks the cell cycle, induces cell apoptosis, regulates cell metabolism, inhibits angiogenesis, and enhances chemosensitivity. BBR plays a role in the overall management of CRC. Therefore, using BBR as an adjunct to CRC prevention and treatment could become a future trend in oncology. Significance statement Berberine (BBR) is the main alkaloid compound found in coptidis rhizome (Huanglian in Chinese). BBR has been proven to have anti‐inflammatory and antitumor therapeutic effects. This article summarizes the specific mechanism of BBR prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) from four aspects: intestinal microbiome, inflammation, precancerous lesions, and CRC. The findings indicate that BBR regulates gut microbiome homeostasis and controls mucosal inflammation to prevent CRC. In the CRC stage, BBR inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, blocks the cell cycle, induces cell apoptosis, regulates cell metabolism, inhibits angiogenesis, and enhances chemosensitivity. BBR plays a role in the overall management of CRC.