cucurbitacin b

Cucurbitacin B is a naturally occurring tetracyclic triterpenoid compound found primarily in plants of the Cucurbitaceae family, such as Trichosanthes cucumerina. It is recognized for its diverse biological and pharmacological properties, including potent antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and antidepressant-like activities. Its major mechanism of action in cancer involves inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, leading to cell cycle arrest (often at G2/M), reduction of cell proliferation, and induction of apoptosis. Additional mechanisms include inhibition of MAPK and Notch signaling, modulation of cell cycle regulatory proteins (such as cyclin D1, CDK2, CDK4, p21, p53), induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and migration (by targeting VEGFR and integrin αvβ3). Cucurbitacin B has also shown antidepressant-like effects in animal models, possibly through hippocampal BDNF signaling and neurogenesis. While showing promise in preclinical cancer models (including melanoma, breast, lung, lymphoma, and prostate cancer), development is currently limited by its high toxicity and requires further optimization for future therapeutic use[1][2][3][4][5][7][8].

Other names

cucurbitacin bcur-b2,16-dihydroxy-23,24-dinor-1,4,9(11),13-cucurbitatetraen-3-onecucurbitacin-B