Anticancer Perspectives of Sanguinarine: A Review

Background: Sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid extracted from Sanguinaria canadensis has been found to show an inhibitory role on proapoptotic and growth inhibitory activities in various tumor cells of experimental subjects. Objective: This review highlights and summarizes the effects of sanguinarine against cancers alongside the possible mechanisms involved as depicted in various in vitro and in vivo models. Results: Sanguinarine shows anticancer activities via various mechanisms like inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, aberrantly activated signal transduction pathways, sang-mediated angiogenesis, and induction of cell death and tumor suppressors’ expressions. It also enhances the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutics via sensitizing cancer cells against these drugs, hence improving their pharmacological attributes. Conclusion: Due to the significant role of sanguinarine against various types of cancer, it can be explored for its potential functions in cancer treatment.