Cucurbitacin IIa: A review of phytochemistry and pharmacology

Cucurbitacin IIa was first found in plants and it belongs to tetracyclo triterpenoids. It is one of the most important active components in cucurbitaceae plants. Studies have found that cucurbitacin IIa has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antihepatitis B virus, inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication, and antidepressant effect. However, the underlying mechanisms, intracellular targets, and structure-activity relationships of cucurbitacin IIa remain to be completely elucidated. This review summarizes the current advances concerning the phytochemistry and pharmacology of cucurbitacin IIa. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and CNKI were used to find relevant information about cucurbitacin IIa using keywords such as Cucurbitacin IIa, Pharmacology, and Phytochemistry. These pharmacological effects involve the actin cytoskeleton aggregation, the regulation of JAK2/STAT3, ERBB-MAPK, CaMKII alpha/CREB/BDNF signal pathways, as well as the regulation of survivin, caspases, and other cell cycles, apoptosis, autophagy-related cytokines, and kinases. It has high development and use value.

Automated summary

Cucurbitacin IIa, a compound found in cucurbitaceae plants, exhibits various pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the underlying mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of this compound require further elucidation. This review summarizes the current advances in the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Cucurbitacin IIa.