Pristimerin Exerts Pharmacological Effects Through Multiple Signaling Pathways: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Pristimerin, a natural triterpenoid isolated from the plants of southern snake vine and Maidenwood in the family Weseraceae, is anti-inflammatory, insecticidal, antibacterial, and antiviral substance and has been used for its cardioprotective and antitumor effects and in osteoporosis treatment. These qualities explain Pristimerin’s therapeutic effects on different types of tumors and other diseases. More and more studies have shown that pristimerin acts in a wide range of biological activities and has shown great potential in various fields of modern and Chinese medicine. While Pristimerin’s wide range of pharmacological effects have been widely studied by others, our comprehensive review suggests that its mechanism of action may be through affecting fundamental cellular events, including blocking the cell cycle, inducing apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibiting cell migration and invasion, or through activating or inhibiting certain key molecules in several cell signaling pathways, including nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian-targeted macromycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK1/2/3), reactive oxygen species (ROS), wingless/integrin1 (Wnt)/β-catenin, and other signaling pathways. This paper reviews the research progress of Pristimerin’s pharmacological mechanism of action in recent years to provide a theoretical basis for the molecular targeting therapy and further development and utilization of Pristimerin. It also provides insights into improved treatments and therapies for clinical patients and the need to explore pristimerin as a potential facet of treatment.

Keywords:

• pristimerin
• signaling pathway
• pharmacological effects
• review

Acknowledgments

Figures of this review were created with Servier Medical Art (https://smart.servier.com/).

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accounF for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the Shandong Natural Science Foundation of China (numbers ZR2021QH046).