Theobroma cacao: Review of the Extraction, Isolation, and Bioassay of Its Potential Anti-cancer Compounds

Main Article Content

Zainal Baharum
Abdah Md Akim
Taufiq Yap Yun Hin
Roslida Abdul Hamid
Rosmin Kasran

Abstract


Plants have been a good source of therapeutic agents for thousands of years; an impressive number of modern drugs used for treating human diseases are derived from natural sources. The Theobroma cacao tree, or cocoa, has recently garnered increasing attention and become the subject of research due to its antioxidant properties, which are related to potential anti-cancer effects. In the past few years, identifying and developing active compounds or extracts from the cocoa bean that might exert anti-cancer effects have become an important area of health- and biomedicine-related research. This review provides an updated overview of T. cacao in terms of its potential anti-cancer compounds and their extraction, in vitro bioassay, purification, and identification. This article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques described and reviews the processes for future perspectives of analytical methods from the viewpoint of anti-cancer compound discovery.


 



Tumbuh-tumbuhan merupakan satu sumber yang terbaik untuk agen terapeutik sejak beribu-ribu tahun; banyak ubatan moden yang digunakan untuk merawat penyakit manusia berasal daripada sumber semula jadi. Pokok Theobroma cacao, atau koko, telah baru-baru ini mendapat perhatian yang semakin meningkat dan menjadi subjek penyelidikan kerana mempunyai sifat-sifat antioksidan, yang mempunyai kesan-kesan anti-kanser yang berpotensi. Pada tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini, pengenalpastian dan pembangunan sebatian aktif atau ekstrak-ekstrak daripada biji koko yang dapat memberi kesan anti-kanser telah menjadi bidang penting dalam penyelidikan berkaitan kesihatan dan bioperubatan. Ulasan ini memberikan gambaran keseluruhan terkini terhadap T. cacao dari segi potensi sebatian anti-kansernya dan pengekstrakan, bioesei in vitro, penulenan, dan pengenalpastian. Artikel ini juga membincangkan kebaikan dan keburukan teknik-teknik yang diterangkan dan memberi ulasan berkaitan proses-proses bagi perspektif kaedah analisis pada masa depan dari sudut pandangan penemuan sebatian anti-kanser.



Article Details

How to Cite
Theobroma cacao: Review of the Extraction, Isolation, and Bioassay of Its Potential Anti-cancer Compounds. (2016). Tropical Life Sciences Research, 27(1), 21–42. https://ejournal.usm.my/tlsr/article/view/tlsr_vol27-no-1-2016_2
Section
Original Article