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Updated: Jan 31, 2026
Isolation of Human Endothelial Cells from Normal Colon and Colorectal Carcinoma - An Improved Protocol
Published on: April 4, 2018
Chebulinic acid derived from triphala is a promising antitumour agent in human colorectal carcinoma cell lines
Min Wang1, Yanru Li2, Xianda Hu3
1Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Background:
Triphala is an Ayurvedic rasayana formulation reputed for its antitumour activities, and chebulinic acid and chebulagic acid, along with other phenolic acids, have been proposed to be responsible for its effects.
Methods:
In this study, the anti-proliferative activities of these agents were evaluated in colorectal carcinoma cell lines with three phenotypes exposed to several batches of triphala samples with different quantities of chebulinic acid and chebulagic acid. The pro-apoptotic and anti-migratory activities and the probable antitumour mechanisms of the more potent anti-proliferative phytochemical were also investigated.
Results:
The results demonstrated that chebulinic acid, which exerts potent anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-migratory effects, is a key molecule for maintaining the antitumour efficacy of triphala. The antitumour mechanism of chebulinic acid is probably related to the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways.
Conclusions:
Chebulinic acid is not only a critical component of the anticancer activities of triphala but also a promising natural multi-target antitumour agent with therapeutic potential.
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