Iridoids chemopreventive activity

Konoshima, T. et al.. Cancer chemopreventive activity of an iridoid glycoside, 8-acetylharpagide, fvom Ajuga decumbens. Cancer I tt., 157, 87, 2000. 

Only few of the iridoids biosynthesized by route II have been assayed for antitumoral or chemopreventive activities. These compounds showed higher cancer chemopreventive than antitumoral activity. The iridoids that stand out against the rest are aucubin, geniposide and derivatives, and picroliv. 

The pharmacological assays and activities of natural iridoids biosynthesized by route II, extracted from a variety of plants are summarized in this review, such as antiinflammatory, antitumoral-chemopreventive, hepatoprotective and healing. Structure-activity relationships are also discussed. 

Many reviews have dealt with the distribution, structure, properties and biosynthesis of iridoids and secoiridoids [131-137] without distinguish between the biosynthetic pathway route. In our case, some of the most studied activities, as anti-inflammatory, antitumoral-chemopreventive, and protective by iridoids biosynthesized by route IIa, have been discussed. 

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