The clinical translation of α-humulene - a scoping review
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Author(s)
Dalavaye, Nishaanth
Nicholas, Martha
Pillai, Manaswini
Erridge, Simon
Sodergren, Mikael H
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
α-humulene, a sesquiterpene found in essential oils of various plant species, has garnered interest due to its potential therapeutic applications. This scoping review aims to consolidate α-humulene's evidence base, informing clinical translation, and guiding future research directions. A scoping review was conducted of EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases up to 14th July 2023. All studies describing original research on α-humulene extraction, as well as pre-clinical and clinical research, were included for review. Three hundred and forty articles were analysed. α-humulene yields ranged from negligible to 60.90% across plant species. In vitro experiments demonstrated cytotoxicity against adenocarcinomas (such as colorectal, pulmonary, breast, prostatic, lung, and ovarian), with varying responses in other cell models. Mechanistic insights revealed its involvement in mitochondrial dysfunction, diminished intracellular glutathione levels, and the induction of oxidative stress. In rodent studies, oral administration of α-humulene at 50 mg/kg reduced inflammation markers in paw oedema and ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation. Intraperitoneal administration of α-humulene (50 - 200 mg/kg) exhibited cannabimimetic properties through cannabinoid 1 and adenosine A2a receptors. α-humulene also exhibited a multitude of properties with potential scope for therapeutic utilisation. However, there is a paucity of studies that have successfully translated this research into clinical populations with the associated disease. Potential barriers to clinical translation were identified, including yield variability, limited isolation studies, and challenges associated with terpene bioavailability. Consequently, rigorous pharmacokinetic studies and further mechanistic investigations are warranted to effectively uncover the potential of α-humulene.
Date Issued
2024-08
Date Acceptance
2024-04-16
Citation
Planta Medica: natural products and medicinal plant research, 2024, 90 (9), pp.664-674
ISSN
0032-0943
Publisher
Thieme Gruppe
Start Page
664
End Page
674
Journal / Book Title
Planta Medica: natural products and medicinal plant research
Volume
90
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2024. The Author(s).
This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38626911
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
Germany
Date Publish Online
2024-05-08