Exploring the diverse biological activities of Garcinia cowa: Implications for future cancer chemotherapy and beyond

Garcinia cowa Roxb., locally called "Cha-muang" in Thailand, serves as a culinary ingredient and a key component of Thai traditional medicine. Its phytochemical analysis uncovered a range of secondary metabolites, including xanthones, phloroglucinols, polyprenylated benzophenones, etc., that displayed notable anticancer activities against human cancer cell lines. Among xanthones, jacareubin (1) obtained from the roots and leaves and cowanin (8) isolated from the roots and twigs stand out as noteworthy anticancer compounds. Jacareubin exhibited potent cytotoxic effects against oral (KB), pancreatic (PANC-1), lung (A549), and cervical (HeLa) cells (IC50 < 10 μM). Similarly, cowanin displayed immense cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell lines, namely lung (H-460) and HeLa cells (IC50 < 6 μM). Moreover, garcowacinol C (30), a phloroglucinol found in the twigs, displayed cytotoxicity against KB, breast (MCF-7), colon (HeLaS3), colorectal (HT-29), and liver (HepG-2) cells (IC50 < 10 μM), while chamuangone (50), a benzophenone derivative, isolated from the leaves, showed substantial cytotoxic effects against lung (SBC-3 and A549), leukemia (K562 and K562/ADM), HT-29, MCF-7, and HeLa cells (IC50 < 8 μM). Furthermore, chamuangone also induced apoptosis in HeLa cells by inhibiting the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) and inhibiting metastasis by suppressing HeLa cell migration. Furthermore, G. cowa has been explored for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and gastroprotective properties. Concludingly, this review narrates the traditional uses of G. cowa alongside its phytochemical and biological attributes, with a particular emphasis on its anticancer potential.