Oridonin is a diterpenoid that has been found in
R. rubescens and has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties.
1,2 It is an inhibitor of AKT1 and AKT2 (IC
50s = 8.4 and 8.9 μM, respectively).
1 Oridonin inhibits proliferation of KYSE70, KYSE410, and KYSE450 esophageal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, halts the cell cycle at the G
2/M phase, and induces apoptosis when used at a concentration of 20 μM. It decreases the expression of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), caspase-3, caspase-7, and Bim
s and the protein levels of phosphorylated AKT and reduces AKT activity. Oridonin reduces tumor growth in patient-derived mouse tumor models when administered at doses of 40 and 160 mg/kg. Oridonin is also an inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation.
2 It inhibits inflammation in wild-type, but not
Nlrp3-/-, mice in a model of high-fat diet-induced type 2 diabetes when administered at a dose of 3 mg/kg.