Cancer and Treatment with Seeds of Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis R. Brown)

This chapter reviews various studies and discusses the most recent progress in the possible underlying mechanisms through which the active components in Livistona chinensis (LC) extracts can exert their anti-tumor activity. The seeds of LC have long been documented in several Chinese medical books as being a useful herb for treating various cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), esophageal cancer, and leukemia. In addition to the antiproliferative activity against tumor cells, results from some recent studies also indicate the anti-angiogenic potential of the LC extract. The water and ethanolic extracts of the seeds of LC possess antitumor, anti-angiogenic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity. The ethanolic extracts of the seeds of LC contain protein kinase inhibitory activity, which is well co-purified with antitumor activity in various chromatography steps. However, it is unclear whether the protein kinase inhibitory activity in LC extracts contributes to the antitumor property of this herb. Blockage of the functions of EGFR and intracellular kinase activities may account for the antitumor activity of the active components in LC-X. More recently, several studies have reported various biological activities of phenolic compounds extracted from the seeds of LC, including hemolytic activity, antibacterial and membrane-damaging activity, and cell protective activity against H2O2-induced cell damage. For rigorous qualitative and quantitative control in modern medicine, it is apparent that we have to clarify the CMC (chemical, manufacture, and control) and toxicity data of LC extracts before the official use as a botanical drug.