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. 2025 Aug 12;16:1642091. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1642091

Table 3.

Natural products targeting TAMs for colon treatment and the mechanism of action.

Categories Compound Sources Pharmacological function In vivo model and administration dose In vitro model Molecular mechanisms Effect on the macrophages Anti-tumor function Ref.
Polyphenols Procyanidins Litchi anti-inflammation, anticancer, antioxidation female BALB/c mice: CT26 tail vein injection / ↓ CD68, ARG1, CD206, CCL2 decrease TAMs infiltration suppress tumor growth and lung metastasis, activate T cell immunity, alleviate macrophages induced inflammation (166)
Curcumin Curcumae longae Rhizoma anticancer, antioxidation, immune modulation / THP-1
SW620, HCT116
↓ IL-10, ARG1, CD163, MACC1 inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor cell proliferation and migration (167)
Piceatannol seeds of Euphorbia lagascae anti-inflammation, anticancer, antioxidation male BALB/c athymic nude mice: SW480 and M2-like macrophages subcutaneous injection, 10, 50 mg/kg THP-1
SW480
↓ CD163, TGF-β1, ARG1, Fibronectin inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor growth and EMT (168)
Luteolin ResedaodorataL. anti-inflammation, anticancer, antioxidation / THP-1
SW480, SW620
↓ IL-6, p-STAT3 inhibit M1 polarization suppress tumor cell proliferation and invasion (169)
Cannabidiol Cannabis neuroprotective, anti-inflammation, anticancer, anti-emetic C57BL/6J: MC38 subcutaneous injection, 10 mg/kg BMDM
MC38
↓ CD206, ↑ CD86, iNOS, ↓ ATP, MDA, OXPHOS, β-oxidation, p-P13K, p-AKT, ↑ glycolysis promote M1 polarization, inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor growth, modulate the suppressive TME, reduce Tregs and enhance CD8+ T and NK cell infiltration (170)
Polyphenols-rich components from seaweeds Seaweeds,Gracilaria anti-inflammation, anticancer / RAW264.7
CCD-18Co, HCT116
↓ NO, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, COX2, ↑ HO-1 regulate TAMs pro-inflammatory activity suppress tumor cell proliferation, promote apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (171)
Non-extractable phenolics from strawberry Strawberry anti-inflammation, anticancer, anti-diabetes / RAW264.7
HCT116
↓ iNOS, c-FOS, ↑ HO-1 reduce TAMs inflammation suppress tumor cell proliferation, migration, induce cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase, promote apoptosis (172)
Hydroxygenkwanin Dracocephalum moldavica L. anticancer, anti-inflammation, antioxidation C57BL/6J: MC38 intraperitoneally injection, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 mg/kg BMDM
MC38
↑ TNF-α, iNOS, IL-6, IL-1β, p-STAT5, p-NF-κB, ↓ARG1, CD206, Ym1, JMJD3, p-STAT6, PPAR-γ promote M1 polarization, inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor growth and peritoneal metastasis through the modulation of macrophages (173)
Tetrahydrocurcumin Curcuma longa L. anticancer, anti-inflammation, antioxidative AOM/DSS mice: 50, 100, 200 mg/kg THP-1
HCT116, MC38
↓ CD206, ARG1, IL-10, SPP1, ↑ iNOS, IL-1β, TNF-α inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumorgenesis and progression via modulating the SPP1/CD44 axis and activating ERK signaling pathway (174)
Polysaccharides Fucoidan Brown algae anticancer, immune modulation, antioxidation male BALB/C mice: HCT116 subcutaneous injection, 200, 500 mg/kg RAW264.7
HCT116, RKO
↑ CD86, ↓ CD206, ↑ TLR4, p-P13K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, C/EBPα, glycolysis, ↓PPAR-γ promote M1 polarization inhibit tumor growth, promote tumor cell apoptosis (175)
Polysaccharides from Nostoc commune Nostoc commune Vaucher antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-
carcinogenesis
BALB/c mice: CT26 xenograft, 200 mg/kg BMDM
SW480, SW620, DLD-1, CT26, HT-29, HCT116
↑ TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12β, p-AKT, p-JNK1/2, ↓ IKB-α promote M1 polarization inhibit tumor growth, promote tumor cell apoptosis (176)
Safflower polysaccharide Safflower petals anti-inflammation, anticancer, immune modulation AOM/DSS mice: 50 mg/kg RAW264.7
HCT116, SW480, LoVo, RKO, MC38
↑ iNOS, IL-23, CD16, CD80, p-p65, p-IKBα, TNF-α, IL-6, NO promote M1 polarization suppress tumor growth and induce tumor cell apoptosis via regulating macrophage polarization (177)
Cnidium officinale polysaccharide Cnidium officinale anti-inflammation, anti-anemia / RAW264.7
HCT116
↑NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, p-p65, p-p38, p-JNK, p-ERK1/2 enhance pro-inflammatory activity of macrophages promote tumor immune response (178)
Beta-1,6 glucan Armillaria mellea anti-inflammation, anticancer, immune modulation, antioxidation female BALB/c mice: CT26 subcutaneous injection, 10, 20 mg/kg RAW264.7
CT26, DLD-1, HCT116
↑ NO, TNF-α, IL-6,iNOS, ↓ IL-10, CD206, Ym1, ARG1, IKBα, ↑ p-p65, p-ERK, p-JNK promote the polarization of M2 to M1 suppress tumor growth, promote tumor cell apoptosis (179)
Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide Ganoderma lucidum anti-inflammation, anticancer, immune modulation APCmin/+ mice: 750 mg/kg / ↓ IL-1β, IFN-γ, FOXP3, TNF-α, ↑ IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13 promote the polarization of M1 to M2 reduce polyps, prevent colon tumorigenesis, regulate gut microbiota (180)
Polysaccharides from ginseng leaves Ginseng leaves anticancer, immune modulation BALB/c mice: colon 26-M3.1 tail vein injection, 4-500 μg/mice peritoneal exudate macrophages
Colon 26-M3.1
↑ TNF-α, IL-12 activate macrophage suppress tumor growth and metastasis (181)
Saponins panaxynol American ginseng anti-inflammation, immune modulation, antioxidation AOM/DSS mice: 2.5 mg/kg BMDM ↓ IL-6, IL-13, TGF-β1 decrease M2 infiltration suppress tumor growth, promote tumor cell apoptosis (182)
Ginsenoside-Rp1 Panax ginseng anti-inflammation, immune modulation, antioxidation / J774A.1
CT26
↓ NO, IL-1β inhibit TAMSs activation suppress tumor cell proliferation (183)
Astragaloside IV Astragalus membranaceus anti-inflammation, antioxidation, lowering blood pressure female BALB/C mice: CT26 subcutaneous injection, 15 mg/kg BMDM
CT26
↓ ARG1,Mrc1, TGF-β, IL-10, VEGF-α, ↑ IL-12, Nos2, IFN-γ, TNF-α promote the polarization of M2 to M1 suppress tumor growth and activate immune response (184)
Gypenoside Gynostemma pentaphyllum anti-inflammation, antioxidation, metabolic Regulation APCmin/+ mice: 300 mg/kg / ↓ iNOS↓, CXCL10, ↑ Ym-1, CD206, Trem2, ARG1 promote the polarization of M1 to M2 reduce polyps, prevent colon tumorigenesis (180)
Terpenoids Diterpene ent-polyalthic acid Copaifera reticulata Ducke oleoresin analgesic, antioxidation, anticancer male Wistar rats: 1,2-dimethylhydrazine intraperitoneal injection, 80 mg/kg peritoneal macrophages ↓ NO, PGE2 inhibit TAMs infiltration suppress colon carcinogenesis and DNA damage (185)
dihydroisotanshinone I Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge anticancer, cardioprotective effects BALB/c-nu nude mice: HCT116 xenograft, 30 mg/kg RAW264.7
HCT116, HT-29
CCL2↓ suppress TAMs activation suppress tumor cell recruitment ability of macrophage, promote tumor cell apoptosis (186)
Triptolide Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F anti-inflammation, antimicrobial, antifibrosis, anticancer BALB/c mice: CT26 subcutaneous injection, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg/kg RAW264.7
HT29, CT116
↓ ARG1, CD206, IL-10, CXCL12 decrease TAMs infiltration, inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor growth and remodel TME through NF‐κB p65 and
ERK1/2 axis
(187)
Oridonin Rabdosia rubescens anticancer, anti-angiogenesis male BALB/c nude mice: HCT116 subcutaneous injection, 40 mg/kg / ↓ CD206 decrease M2 infiltration suppress tumor growth and angiogenesis through JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway (188)
Cucurbitacin B Muskmelon pedicel anticancer, anti-inflammation, antioxidation C57BL/6 mice: CT26 subcutaneous injection, 0.5, 1 mg/kg RAW264.7, THP-1
HCT116, CT26
↓ Ym1, Fizz1, ARG1, CCR2, p-JAK, p-STAT3 inhibit M2 polarization suppress tumor growth, inhibit tumor cell invasion and migration, regulate TME (H. 189)
Oleuropein Olea europaea L. leaves anti-inflammation, immune modulation, antioxidation PIRC rats: 100 mg/kg RAW264.7
HCT116
↓ iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, TGF-β, COX2 suppress TAMs activation suppress tumorgenesis, promote tumor cell apoptosis (190)
Quinones Emodin Rheum palmatum, Polygonum cuspidatum, and polygonum multiflorum anti-inflammation, anticancer APCmin/+ and AOM/DSS mice: 40, 80 mg/kg BMDM
C26
↓ P2X7, p-STAT3 decrease M2 proliferation reduce polyp and tumorgenesis, regulate TME (191)
Bullatacin Annonaceae anticancer / SW480, HT-29 ↑ CRT, HSP90, HMGB1 promote macrophage phagocytosis promote immunogenic tumor cell death by activating endoplasmic reticulum stress (192)