UAE Scientists Discover That the Phytochemical Mollugin Shows Powerful Cancer and Inflammation Fighting Potential
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 13, 2025 2 hours, 24 minutes ago
Medical News: Mollugin Gains Spotlight as Natural Cure from Traditional Herbs
A powerful compound called mollugin, extracted from the roots of a traditional medicinal plant known as Rubia cordifolia (also called Manjistha), is gaining global attention for its wide range of therapeutic benefits. This plant has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, but now researchers from the United Arab Emirates University are confirming its potential in modern medicine using lab and animal studies.
Phytochemicals from Rubia cordifolia shows promise in fighting cancer and inflammation
This
Medical News report highlights mollugin’s strong anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory abilities, as well as its potential use in neuroprotection, bone regeneration, infection control, and even in reducing obesity. Scientists believe this single natural compound may be able to help treat multiple diseases—especially cancer and chronic inflammation—thanks to its ability to target many different pathways in the body.
A Plant Compound That Fights Cancer in Multiple Ways
In a series of lab tests, mollugin was found to fight various types of cancer—including liver, colon, ovarian, cervical, and breast cancer—by killing cancer cells, slowing their growth, and preventing them from spreading. Mollugin works by triggering apoptosis (a natural cell death process) through mitochondria-related signals and also by causing ferroptosis, a newer form of cancer cell death linked to iron levels and oxidative stress.
Mollugin was shown to damage cancer cells' DNA, block their ability to multiply, and reduce key cancer-related proteins like NF-κB, Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, and COX-2. It also prevents tumors from building resistance to chemotherapy by blocking P-glycoprotein and other resistance mechanisms.
Lab-made versions of mollugin, such as FFJ-3 and FFJ-5, demonstrated even stronger cancer-killing activity by targeting energy production in tumor cells and lowering their survival rate. These findings open doors for using mollugin as a new type of plant-based cancer therapy that could be safer and more natural than existing chemotherapy.
Powerful Anti-Inflammatory and Brain Protection Effects
Inflammation is the root of many modern illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. Mollugin was shown to block key inflammation pathways like NF-κB, MAPK, JAK2/STAT, and boost the antioxidant defense system known as Nrf2/HO-1. These effects were seen in both lab and animal studies, showing improvements in conditions such as colitis and sepsis.
In the brain, mollugin helped protect neurons from oxidative stress and inflammation. It activated the GLP-1 receptor and PI3K/Akt pathways, improving memory and reducing brain damage in diabetic mice. One recent study also showed mollugin protecting the blood-brain barrier—a key line of defense in strokes and brain injuries—by activating the BDNF/TrkB-Akt
pathway.
Other Surprising Benefits from One Herbal Compound
Mollugin did more than just fight cancer and inflammation. It helped regenerate bone by activating BMP-2/Smad pathways and prevented bone loss by blocking osteoclast activity. It showed strong antibacterial activity against dangerous pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter xiangfangensis, and also displayed anti-obesity effects by stopping fat cells from forming and promoting their death.
Even more, mollugin demonstrated pain-relief potential without acting like opioids and may influence how the body responds to common pain medications. Importantly, synthetic versions of mollugin like oxomollugin and azamollugin have shown improved potency, stability, and water solubility, solving key problems of natural plant compounds that are hard to absorb or break down.
Mollugin’s Future as a Natural Multi Disease Treatment
Although still in early stages, mollugin shows strong promise as a future multi-target drug. Researchers warn that more in-depth testing, including human studies and toxicity profiling, are needed before mollugin or its derivatives can be safely used in clinical treatments. But its current profile shows low toxicity, high absorption, and broad health benefits.
Based on available lab results and animal data, mollugin could one day be developed into a natural medicine for fighting cancer, inflammation,neurodegeneration, bacterial infections, obesity, and even osteoporosis—all from one single plant source.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/24/12003
For the latest on Herbs and Phytochemicals, news, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
Share
Tweet
Share
