Description
Farnesol is a sesquiterpene alcohol produced from isoprene units; it is found in many essential plant oils as it regulates the volatility of odorants in perfumes. Farnesol exhibits anticancer, chemopreventive, and antifungal activities. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, farnesol induces G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, downregulates expression of cyclin A, cyclin B1, and CDK2, and increases expression of p21 and p27. Farnesol also increases latency to tumor formation and decreases tumor incidence in TPA-induced skin carcinogenesis models. Additionally, this compound induces apoptosis and increases ROS formation, inhibiting growth of Aspergillus and Candida.
References
Wang X, Wang YZ, Zhou Y, et al. Farnesol induces apoptosis-like cell death in the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus. Mycologia. 2014 Jun 3. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 24895430.
Zhu J, Krom BP, Sanglard D, et al. Farnesol-induced apoptosis in Candida albicans is mediated by Cdr1-p extrusion and depletion of intracellular glutathione. PLoS One. 2011;6(12):e28830. PMID: 22205973.
Chaudhary SC, Alam MS, Siddiqui MS, et al. Chemopreventive effect of farnesol on DMBA/TPA-induced skin tumorigenesis: involvement of inflammation, Ras-ERK pathway and apoptosis. Life Sci. 2009 Jul 31;85(5-6):196-205. PMID: 19470390.
Wiseman DA, Werner SR, Crowell PL. Cell cycle arrest by the isoprenoids perillyl alcohol, geraniol, and farnesol is mediated by p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2007 Mar;320(3):1163-70. PMID: 17138864.
