Anticancer activities and mechanism of action of the labdane diterpene coronarin D

The anticancer properties of several labdane diterpenes have been well characterized, notably for andrographolide and sclareol. In contrast, the structurally related natural product coronarin D (CRD), principally isolated from the ginger Hedychium coronarium, is much less known. Recently, different studies have underlined the anticancer activities of CRD and in particular its capacity to inhibit the growth and to induce the death of glioblastoma and carcinoma cell lines in vitro. The present review provides a global view of the activities and mechanism of action of CRD and the analogy with the other anticancer labdane diterpenes. CRD exerts its antiproliferative action via an activation of the MAPK pathway, notably by a stimulation of ERK/JNK phosphorylation, which subsequently leads to drug-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Reactive oxygen species also play a role in the bioactivity of drug, but no well-defined molecular target has been characterized yet. CRD presents an interesting activity profile in vitro and warrants in vivo evaluations, notably for the treatment of glioblastoma.