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Recent Advances in Anticancer Activities and Drug Delivery Systems of Tannins
Author(s) -
Cai Yuee,
Zhang Jinming,
Chen Nelson G.,
Shi Zhi,
Qiu Jiange,
He Chengwei,
Chen Meiwan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
medicinal research reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.868
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1098-1128
pISSN - 0198-6325
DOI - 10.1002/med.21422
Subject(s) - ellagic acid , chemistry , bioavailability , hydrolyzable tannin , polyphenol , gallic acid , proanthocyanidin , chemoprotective , drug , pharmacology , anticancer drug , liposome , nutraceutical , drug delivery , antioxidant , biochemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Tannins, polyphenols in medicinal plants, have been divided into two groups of hydrolysable and condensed tannins, including gallotannins, ellagitannins, and (–)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG). Potent anticancer activities have been observed in tannins (especially EGCG) with multiple mechanisms, such as apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of invasion and metastases. Furthermore, the combinational effects of tannins and anticancer drugs have been demonstrated in this review, including chemoprotective, chemosensitive, and antagonizing effects accompanying with anticancer effect. However, the applications of tannins have been hindered due to their poor liposolubility, low bioavailability, off‐taste, and shorter half‐life time in human body, such as EGCG, gallic acid, and ellagic acid. To tackle these obstacles, novel drug delivery systems have been employed to deliver tannins with the aim of improving their applications, such as gelatin nanoparticles, micelles, nanogold, liposomes, and so on. In this review, the chemical characteristics, anticancer properties, and drug delivery systems of tannins were discussed with an attempt to provide a systemic reference to promote the development of tannins as anticancer agents.