The effects of biscoclaurine alkaloid cepharanthine on mammalian cells: implications for cancer, shock, and inflammatory diseases.

The extract of Stephania cepharantha Hayata contains biscoclaurine alkaloids such as cepharanthine, which have been used widely in Japan for the treatment of patients with radiation-induced leukopenia, alopecia areata, exudative otitis media, and venomous snakebites. Many investigations have proven that the alkaloid cepharanthine exerts diverse pharmacological effects that include membrane-stabilizing, multidrug resistance-reversing, antitumor, apoptosis-inducing, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging, anti-HIV-1, antiallergic and immunomodulatory effects. The purpose of our review is to describe various therapeutic approaches using cepharanthine and their potential efficacy.