Phytochemistry and anticancer activity of anthraquinones from Ceratotheca triloba (Bernh.) E. Mey. ex Hook.f: a review

Abstract

Ceratotheca triloba (Bernh.) E. Mey. ex Hook.f is native to tropical and subtropical African countries and is used in traditional medicine to treat painful menstruation, stomach cramps, nausea, fever and diarrhoea. Anecdotal reports of its effects in cancer treatment and prevention, with many successful cases, have warranted that these pharmacological properties be scientifically validated. A bibliographic search was conducted using the key words "Ceratotheca", "anticancer", and "antitumor" along with cross-referencing. No clinical or animal cancer studies were identified and only two in vitro cell-culture-based studies were reported; these indicate that extracts of C. triloba may alter the growth of several types of cancer cell lines. This review summarizes the results of anthraquinones and emphasizes the aspects that warrant future research to explore the anthraquinones in C. triloba for their anticancer activities.