Supplement
Chinese juniper is an evergreen conifer whose berries contain plant compounds, such as widdrol, that researchers study for their effects on cells. Lab studies on colon cancer cells found widdrol slowed growth and triggered cell death, and one mouse study found slower tumor growth. Nearly all of this is cell or animal work, so the evidence is very limited and says little yet about people.
Sources: PMID 19828235; PMID 22266984
- Updated
- How we grade
- 8 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 0
- Outcomes
- 7
- Graded outcomes
- 0007
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Cancer Effects (Colon Cancer) Multiple in vitro studies demonstrate that widdrol induces apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest in HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells via AMPK activation, caspase-3/8/9 activation, and the Chk2-p53-Cdc25A-p21-MCM4 DNA damage checkpoint pathway. One xenograft mouse model showed widdrol reduced tumor growth and blood vessel formation in vivo. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured anti-cancer effects (colon cancer)
| ||||||
| Anti-Angiogenic Effects In vitro studies show widdrol inhibits HUVEC proliferation via G1 phase arrest and suppresses cell migration and tube formation by targeting VEGFR2 signaling. A Juniperus chinensis extract also demonstrated antiangiogenic activity in hepatocellular carcinoma models in vitro and in vivo. | Changes; see studies | Moderate effect | 2 studies | |||
| Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Effects A single study found that Juniperus chinensis extract exhibited antiangiogenic and antihepatocellular carcinoma activities, inhibiting tumor growth in preclinical models through suppression of blood vessel formation. | Changes; see studies | Moderate effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects | ||||||
| Blood Glucose Levels In alloxan-induced diabetic rats, ethanolic extract of Chinese juniper berries reduced blood glucose levels by up to 60% over 9 hours. This single animal study has not been replicated and used a chemically-induced diabetes model with limited translational value. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Large effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured blood glucose levels | ||||||
| Blood Lipid Levels In alloxan-induced diabetic rats, aqueous extract of Chinese juniper berries showed potential hypolipidemic effects. This finding comes from a single animal study and has not been replicated or tested in humans. | Changes; see studies | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured blood lipid levels | ||||||
| PTP1B Inhibition (Insulin Sensitization) An in vitro study found that α-methyl artoflavanocoumarin isolated from Juniperus chinensis inhibited PTP1B (IC50 25.27 µM) and increased glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. No animal or human validation exists. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
| Insect Repellent / Larvicidal Activity Essential oil of J. chinensis showed larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti (80-100% kill at 125-250 ppm) but failed to repel adult mosquitoes at the highest dosage tested (1.5 mg/cm²), performing substantially worse than DEET and J. communis oil. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Key findings
- Anti-Cancer Effects (Colon Cancer)Improves (the measure goes down)
- Anti-Angiogenic EffectsChanges; see studies
- Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma EffectsChanges; see studies
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
8 studies from PubMed
- α-Methyl artoflavanocoumarin from Juniperus chinensis exerts anti-diabetic effects by inhibiting PTP1B and activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells
- Antiangiogenic and antihepatocellular carcinoma activities of the Juniperus chinensis extract
- Widdrol, a sesquiterpene isolated from Juniperus chinensis, inhibits angiogenesis by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signaling
- Widdrol activates DNA damage checkpoint through the signaling Chk2-p53-Cdc25A-p21-MCM4 pathway in HT29 cells
- Widdrol induces apoptosis via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in colon cancer cells
- Essential oils of Cupressus funebris, Juniperus communis, and J. chinensis (Cupressaceae) as repellents against ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) and as toxicants against mosquitoes
- Widdrol induces cell cycle arrest, associated with MCM down-regulation, in human colon adenocarcinoma cells
- Comparison between ethanolic and aqueous extracts from Chinese juniper berries for hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats