Anti-cancer potential of litchi seed extract

Polyphenol-rich fruit are believed to be healthy food for humans. Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) from fruit are rich sources of polyphenols and exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and have been shown experimentally to overcome some chronic diseases, including cancer. The litchi seed is one of the TCMs traditionally used for relieving pain and sweating, and has been revealed in our recent report and other studies to possess rich amounts of polyphenolic species, including flavonoids and proanthocyanidines, and exhib its strong anti-oxidant activity, and could be applied for the treatment of diabetes and cancer. Herein, we review the recent findings regarding the benefits of this TCM in the treatment of human cancer and the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of the litchi seed.