Plant compound harmane fights colon cancer via gut bacteria
Li G, Li L, Shen P, Wang J, Feng Y
Medicinal Plants
The legume family that harbors this compound spans thousands of species from garden peas to wild vetches, a reminder that ordinary backyard plants can carry molecules with real biological punch.
Harmane is a small molecule found in some legume plants, especially the Crotalaria genus, and it also shows up naturally in animal bodies and certain foods. Researchers found that harmane pushes colorectal cancer cells toward self-destruction by switching on a specific gene pathway, and it also shifts the mix of bacteria living in the gut in ways that seem to help fight the cancer. People with healthy guts had more harmane than those with early tumors or full-blown colorectal cancer, hinting the compound might normally help protect us.
Key Findings
Harmane induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells via the p53-RRM2B molecular axis
Gut harmane levels progressively decline from healthy individuals to advanced adenoma to colorectal cancer patients
Fecal microbiota transplantation experiments confirmed harmane's anticancer effect works partly by reshaping gut microbial composition and metabolites
chevron_right Technical Summary
A compound called harmane, found in certain legume plants and also made naturally in the body, triggers cancer cell death and helps suppress colorectal cancer in lab and animal studies, partly by reshaping gut bacteria.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Harmane induces apoptosis through RRM2B and suppresses colorectal cancer progression.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system, and chemotherapy resistance often leads to poor patient prognosis. Harmane, a natural indole alkaloid, is found in Legum...
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Crotalaria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae commonly known as rattlepods. The genus includes over 700 species of herbaceous plants and shrubs. Africa is the continent with the majority of Crotalaria species, which are mainly found in damp grassland, especially in floodplains,...