Description
Nemorosone is one of the main bioactive compounds found in propolis produced by honey bees. Nemorosone is structurally related to hyperforin, but unlike hyperforin, nemorosone does not induce CYP3A4, making nemorosone the more viable option to develop a combination therapy targeting pancreatic cancer. In addition, nemorosone was found to inhibit growth, induce cell cycle arrest, abolish mitochondrial membrane potential, and elevate cytosolic calcium concentration in pancreatic cancer cells, and induce cytochrome c release and caspase-dependent apoptosis in cancer cells but not in fibroblasts. Furthermore, nemorosone has been shown to inhibit 17-beta-estradiol action, indicating that it may have potential therapeutic application to breast cancer.