Recent progress in the use of periplocin, periplocymarin and periplogenin in cancer treatment

Periplocin, periplocymarin and periplogenin are the main active components of Cortex Periplocae. The most cytotoxic constituent of Cortex Periplocae, periplocin is an alpha cardiac glycoside with a steroid core and an unsaturated five-membered lactone ring structure. Periplocymarin is a secondary alpha cardiac glycoside, which is produced by removing one molecule of glucose from periplocin, and periplogenin is the glycosidic portion and the basic unit of periplocin and periplocymarin. These three cardiac glycosides, by virtue of their unique pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action, mediate signaling pathways, mainly the retinoblastoma and p53 signaling pathways, and regulate cell cycle proteins, thereby hindering the proliferation of cancer cells and altering the cell cycle process. These glycosides also regulate caspase proteins by mediating endogenous and exogenous pathways, thereby inducing the apoptosis of cancer cells. This minireview focuses on the inhibitory effects of periplocin, periplocymarin and periplogenin on cancer, and explores their potential antitumor mechanisms.