Research Progress of Anti-tumor Effects of Chalcones from Angelica keiskei

Angelica keiskei (A. keiskei), natively growing in Japan, is a herb which is edible and also used as traditional medicine. Chalcones are the main active compounds in A. keiskei. Recently, intense attention of chalcones from A. keiskei with remarkable anti-tumor activity has been drawn from the researchers. In this paper, the identified chalcones from A. keiskei were listed and their distribution in the plant was introduced. Research advancements of the antitumor activity including aspects of tumor cell growth and proliferation inhibition, tumor cell apoptosis induction, tumor angiogenesis inhibition, anti-oxidant, immunity enhancement, and tumor cell invasion and metastasis inhibition were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for further research, exploitation and utilization of natural chalcone resources from A. keiskei.