Fucoxanthin isis a marine carotenoid mainly found in brown algae, giving them a brown or olive-green color. Fucoxanthin is investigated for its anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and anti-cancer effects. In vivo studies have demonstrated that oral administration of fucoxanthin inhibited carcinogenesis in an animal model of duodenal, skin, colon and liver cancer. Fucoxanthin causes antitumor and anticarcinogenic effects by inducing G1 cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis by modulating expression of various cellular molecules and cellular signal transduction pathways, but the exact mechanism of anti-cancer action of fucoxanthin is not fully elucidated. Fucoxanthin regulates lipids metabolism, the effect most likely mediated by AMK-activated protein kinase. A clinical trial of fucoxanthin against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is ongoing.

Solasodine is an aglycone of solamargine and solasonine, which are the major solasodine glycosides present in numerous species of the solanaceae family including potato, tomato or garden egg plant etc. In Phase II clinical trial was shown that solasodine glycosides exhibit anticancer activity against skin cancer. The effects of aglycone solasodine on cancer cells have also been investigated. Solasodine inhibits the growth of human colon and liver cancer cell. In addition, solasodine effectively inhibits proliferation of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and inhibits invasion of human lung cancer cells. Solasodine possesses CNS activities such as antipyretic, anticonvulsant and memory enhancing effects. Also, solasodine has been found to possess diuretic, antifungal, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-spermatogenetic and antiandrogenic effects.

Licochalcone A (LicA) is a flavonoid isolated from the famous Chinese medicinal herb Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch and has a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer. However, its pharmacological mechanism is not well defined. The anti-Inflammatory effects of LicA on IL-1β-Stimulated human osteoarthritis chondrocytes was reached by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway. LicA showed anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells through regulating Sp1 and apoptosis-related proteins in a dose- and a time-dependent manner. In addition, the chemotherapeutic potential of LicA for treatment of human cervical cancer was achieved by inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling.

Isorhamnetin, a flavonol aglycone, isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine H. rhamnoides L., was frequently used in traditional medicine to prevent and treat diverse diseases. Isorhamnetin has been shown to play a variety of roles in anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor, anti-viral, and neurodegenerative injury protection. Isorhamnetin could inhibit the H2O2-induced activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by scavenging free ROS and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) inactivation. In the type 2 diabetic rat model, isorhamnetin was found to be able to inhibit the NF-κB signaling activity, attenuate oxidative stress, and decrease the production of inflammatory mediators. Isorhamnetin can suppress skin cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and atherosclerosis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT activation. Isorhamnetin shows inhibitory activity toward CYP1B1 expression and function.

(22S,23S)-homobrassinolide (also known as isohomobrassinolide) is a member of the plant-derived polyhydroxylated derivatives of 5α-cholestane family of compounds; known as brassinosteroids. It was shown that isohomobrassinolide selectively activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by increasing Akt phosphorylation in vitro.

Dioscin is a natural steroid saponin derived from several plants, showing the potent anti-cancer effect against a variety of tumor cell lines. Pharmacological studies have shown that dioscin processes anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, anti-liver fibrosis and anti-obesity effects. Dioscin markedly inhibited cell viability, colony formation, motility and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Dioscin remarkably suppressed the migratory and invasive capacities of melanoma cells. In preclinical models, dioscin showed significant anti-metastatic effects and suppress the tumor cell malignancy.

Notoginsenoside R1 is a characteristic constituent of Radix notoginseng, a well known herbal medicine widely used in Asian countries for treating microcirculatory disturbance-related diseases, such as diabetic nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, cerebral vascular disease, and liver dysfunction. Notoginsenoside R1 has multiple pharmacologic activities, including cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. A study on the application of Notoginsenoside R1 in a rat model of diabetic nephropathy indicated that Notoginsenoside R1 ameliorated the glucose-induced impairment of podocyte adhesive capacity and subsequent podocyte depopulation, partly through the upregulation of α3β1 integrin via PI3K-Akt signaling pathway activation.

Dehydrocostus lactone (DHL) is a sesquiterpene lactone originally found in species of Saussurea lappa C.B. Clarke (Compositae). DHL exhibits antibiotic, antioxidative, anti-angiogenic, anticancer chemotherapeutic, and chemopreventive activities. DHL inhibited cancer cell lines throughout PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway, through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin pathway. One of the latest investigation showed, that DHL inhibited the activity of cytosolic thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1) in HeLa cells, which elicited an accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells and a collapse of the intracellular redox equilibrium and eventually induced apoptosis of HeLa cells.