Baicalein / mTOR Cancer Research Results

Ba, Baicalein: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:

Baicalein — Baicalein is a polyphenolic flavone aglycone found primarily in Scutellaria baicalensis and related botanicals, and is the active unconjugated counterpart of baicalin after intestinal/microbial deconjugation and re-conjugation cycling. It is formally classified as a small-molecule natural-product flavonoid with pleiotropic signaling, redox, metabolic, and enzyme-modulatory activity. Standard abbreviations include Ba or BE. In cancer literature it is best characterized as a multi-target preclinical anticancer scaffold rather than an established oncology drug, with relatively strong mechanistic support for apoptosis induction, survival-pathway suppression, anti-invasive signaling, and 12-lipoxygenase inhibition, but with major translational constraints from poor aqueous solubility, extensive first-pass glucuronidation/sulfation, transporter-enzyme interactions, and the likelihood that many in-vitro exposure levels exceed typical systemic aglycone exposure.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. 12-lipoxygenase inhibition with downstream suppression of pro-survival, pro-migratory, and pro-angiogenic lipid signaling.
  2. Intrinsic apoptosis induction via mitochondrial destabilization, cytochrome-c release, caspase-9/3 activation, and BAX:BCL-2 shift.
  3. PI3K/AKT survival-axis repression, often with PTEN restoration and reduced downstream anti-apoptotic signaling.
  4. Redox stress modulation with tumor-context ROS↑ and impaired antioxidant buffering, but normal-cell antioxidant protection in oxidative-injury models.
  5. ER-stress and Ca²⁺ stress coupling that amplifies mitochondrial commitment to cell death.
  6. Suppression of glycolysis / hypoxia adaptation, including HIF-1α, HK2, LDHA, PDK1, PKM2, and GLUT1 in relevant models.
  7. Anti-invasive / anti-metastatic signaling through MMP2/MMP9 and related migration programs.
  8. Anti-angiogenic signaling with VEGF reduction.
  9. Contextual chemo- and radiosensitization in selected models.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral translation is constrained by very low water solubility and extensive intestinal/hepatic phase-II metabolism to glucuronide and sulfate conjugates. Human phase-I data show rapid absorption of tablet formulations with peak plasma levels around 2 hours, steady state after repeated dosing, and major circulating/excreted metabolite burden rather than sustained high parent-aglycone exposure. Microbiota, UGT-dependent reconjugation, and transporter/CYP interactions are clinically relevant variables. Intestinal microbiota are mechanistically relevant because baicalin is converted to baicalein before absorption. Poor translational PK is reinforced by very low aqueous solubility, reported around 16.82 μg/mL, and by formulation studies showing large exposure gains after cocrystal/nanodelivery approaches.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Many anticancer cell studies use roughly 10–50 μM and sometimes higher. That generally exceeds typical reported average human plasma exposure for parent baicalein after oral dosing, so direct translation of higher-concentration in-vitro effects should be treated cautiously unless formulation enhancement, local delivery, tissue enrichment, conjugate deconjugation, or combination use is specifically justified.

Clinical evidence status: Strong preclinical evidence across multiple tumor models; limited animal efficacy support; human clinical experience is mainly phase-I safety/PK and non-oncology development contexts. There is no established cancer indication or mainstream regulatory oncology deployment as of March 12, 2026.

Here are some of the key pathways and mechanisms implicated in its anticancer effects:
-Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Regulation
-Reactive Oxygen Species ROS↑ Generation and Oxidative Stress (Context and dose dependent)
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, Ca+2↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspase-3↑, Caspase-9↑, DNA damage↑,
-Baicalein’s effects on ROS are context-dependent. In some cancer cells, it promotes ROS production to a degree that overwhelms the antioxidant defenses. Elevated ROS levels can damage cellular components and promote apoptosis, essentially tipping the balance toward cell death.
-Conversely, in normal cells, baicalein may exhibit antioxidant properties and reduce ROS↓ under conditions of oxidative stress, highlighting its dual role.
- May Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓, GSH↓, HO-1↓
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑, HO-1↑,
-MAPK, ERK Pathway:
-PI3K/Akt Pathway: Inhibition of the PI3K, Akt pathway by baicalein.
-NF-κB Pathway: Baicalein can inhibit
-Inhibition of Metastasis and Invasion: Baicalein can downregulate MMPs, MMP2, MMP9
-Angiogenesis Suppression: VEGF
-Baicalein is a well-known inhibitor of 12-lipoxygenase
-inhibitor of Glycolysis↓ and HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, PDK1↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓
- promoting PTEN
-chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, cardioProtective,
- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells
-low bioavailability but liposomal may improve bioavailability

In summary, baicalein affects cancer cells by modulating multiple pathways—promoting apoptosis, causing cell cycle arrest, generating or modulating ROS levels, inhibiting survival and proliferative signaling (such as MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways), and reducing angiogenesis and metastasis.

Many animal studies, doses have been reported in the range of approximately 10 to 200 mg/kg body weight.
For example, some studies exploring anticancer or anti-inflammatory effects in rodent models have used doses around 50–100 mg/kg.
However, these doses do not directly translate to human dosages.
Some human studies or formulations (where they are used as nutraceuticals or supplements) may suggest dosing in the range of a few hundred milligrams per day of the extract, but it is often not standardized to a specific amount of baicalein or baicalin.
-mix with oil?

-ic50 cancer cells 10-30uM, normal cells 50-100uM
-Animal studies, 10 to 100 mg/kg.
-Reported to induce apoptosis, cause cell cycle arrest, inhibit angiogenesis, and modulate various signaling pathways (e.g., STAT3, NF-κB, MAPK).

Mechanistic table

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 12-Lipoxygenase axis ↓ 12-LOX, ↓ 12-HETE-linked survival / migration signaling ↔ or modest effect P, R Direct target-level antitumor leverage One of the more mechanistically specific baicalein actions. Supports anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and anti-angiogenic behavior in susceptible tumors.
2 Mitochondria / MPTP ↓ ΔΨm, ↑ mitochondrial dysfunction, ↑ Cyt-c release ↔ or protected in oxidative-injury models R, G Intrinsic apoptosis commitment Mitochondrial collapse is a major convergence point downstream of redox, ER-stress, and survival-pathway suppression.
3 Caspase apoptosis program ↑ BAX, ↓ Bcl-2, ↑ Casp9, ↑ Casp3, ↑ apoptosis ↔ minimal activation G Cell-death execution Widely reported across tumor models; often follows mitochondrial injury rather than representing the earliest event.
4 PI3K / AKT / PTEN axis ↓ PI3K, ↓ p-AKT, ↑ PTEN ↔ or context-dependent R, G Survival suppression A central non-redox pathway that helps explain apoptosis sensitization, cell-cycle arrest, and metabolic downshift.
5 ROS balance ↑ ROS (dose-dependent) or ROS⇅ depending on model ↓ ROS under oxidative challenge P, R, G Tumor-selective redox stress Dual behavior is important: pro-oxidant pressure is common in malignant cells, whereas antioxidant cytoprotection is well documented in stressed non-malignant cells.
6 NRF2 / HO-1 / GSH antioxidant buffering ↓ NRF2, ↓ HO-1, ↓ GSH (context-dependent) ↑ NRF2, ↑ HO-1, ↑ GSH, ↑ SOD / catalase R, G Selectivity gate This divergent redox-buffer response likely contributes to cancer-versus-normal selectivity, but it is model-dependent and should not be overstated as universal.
7 ER stress and Ca²⁺ stress coupling ↑ ER stress, ↑ CHOP, ↑ UPR, ↑ Ca²⁺ dysregulation ↔ buffered homeostasis R, G Stress amplification Likely helps transmit redox/survival perturbation into irreversible mitochondrial death signaling.
8 Glycolysis / HIF-1α adaptation ↓ HIF-1α, ↓ HK2, ↓ LDHA, ↓ PDK1, ↓ PKM2, ↓ GLUT1, ↓ glycolysis ↔ G Metabolic constraint Most convincing in hypoxia-adaptation and gastric / radioresistance models. Usually reflects later transcriptional or adaptation-level effects.
9 NF-κB and MAPK / ERK signaling ↓ NF-κB, MAPK / ERK modulation (often ↓ ERK tone) ↔ or context-dependent P, R, G Signal reprogramming Supports lower inflammatory-survival tone, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced proliferation, but exact direction within MAPK branches can vary by tumor model.
10 Invasion / metastasis axis ↓ MMP2, ↓ MMP9, ↓ migration / invasion ↔ G Anti-invasive phenotype Phenotypically important and relatively consistent, though usually secondary to broader signaling reprogramming.
11 Angiogenesis axis ↓ VEGF, ↓ microvessel support ↔ G Anti-angiogenic support Supported by xenograft and lung-cancer data; best viewed as an adjunct downstream effect rather than sole primary mechanism.
12 Radiosensitization / chemosensitization ↑ treatment sensitivity (context-dependent) Potential normal-tissue protection in oxidative-injury contexts G Combination-use leverage Mechanistically plausible via HIF-1α/glycolysis suppression, NF-κB restraint, and apoptosis priming, but still preclinical and heterogeneous.
13 Clinical Translation Constraint Low parent exposure, variable microbiota handling, rapid conjugation, likely concentration gap May favor safety but complicates efficacy extrapolation G Delivery limitation Poor solubility, strong first-pass metabolism, conjugate predominance, possible CYP/transporter interactions, and lack of oncology-grade clinical validation are the main barriers.

Time-Scale Flag (TSF): P / R / G

  • P: 0–30 min (primary/physical–chemical effects; direct enzymatic or rapid signaling shifts)
  • R: 30 min–3 hr (redox signaling and acute stress-response signaling)
  • G: >3 hr (gene-regulatory adaptation and phenotype-level outcomes)
mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin: Click to Expand ⟱
Source: HalifaxProj (inhibit)
Type:
mTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin) is a central regulator of cell growth, proliferation, metabolism, and survival. It is a serine/threonine kinase that integrates signals from nutrients, growth factors, and cellular energy status.
mTOR promotes protein synthesis and cell growth by activating downstream targets such as S6 kinase and 4E-BP1. In cancer, this pathway can become hyperactivated, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation.

mTor Inhibitors:
-rapamycin (Sirolimus): classic natural product mTOR inhibitor
-Curcumin
-Resveratrol
-Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)
-Honokiol
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2618- Ba,    Baicalein induces apoptosis by inhibiting the glutamine-mTOR metabolic pathway in lung cancer
- in-vitro, Lung, H1299 - in-vivo, Lung, A549
TumCG↓, Baicalein inhibited lung cancer xenograft tumor growth in vivo and suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis in lung cancer cells in vitro.
TumCP↓,
Apoptosis↑,
GLUT1↓, baicalein interacted with glutamine transporters as well as glutaminase and inhibited their activation
GLS↓,
mTOR↓, mTOR, an apoptosis-related protein and downstream target of glutamine metabolism, was also inhibited by baicalein treatment
*toxicity∅, baicalein treatment did not result in damage to the mouse organs, including the liver, heart, spleen, lung, or kidney
cl‑Casp9↓, baicalein dose-dependently suppressed the protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase 9, and cleaved caspase 3 in H1299 and A549 cells
cl‑Casp3↓,
GSH↓, Meanwhile, the levels of glutathione (GSH), S-formylglutathione, and pyroglutamic acid in baicalein-treated A549 cells were downregulated when compared to that in control group
GlutMet↓, These findings indicate that baicalein inhibits cellular glutamine uptake, which is consistent with the findings of metabolomics studies.

2617- Ba,    Potential of baicalein in the prevention and treatment of cancer: A scientometric analyses based review
- Review, Var, NA
Ca+2↑, MDA-MB-231 ↑Ca2+
MMP2↓, MDA-MB-231 ↓MMP-2/9
MMP9↓,
Vim↓, ↓Vimentin, ↓SNAIL, ↑E-cadherin, ↓Wnt1, ↓β-catenin
Snail↓,
E-cadherin↑,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
p‑Akt↓, MCF-7 ↓p-Akt, ↓p-mTOR, ↓NF-κB
p‑mTOR↓,
NF-kB↓,
i-ROS↑, MCF-7 ↑Intracellular ROS, ↓Bcl-2, ↑Bax, ↑cytochrome c, ↑caspase-3/9
Bcl-2↓,
BAX↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
STAT3↓, 4T1, MDA-MB-231 ↓STAT3, ↓ IL-6
IL6↓,
MMP2↓, HeLa ↓MMP-2, ↓MMP-9
MMP9↓,
NOTCH↓, ↓Notch 1
PPARγ↓, ↓PPARγ
p‑NRF2↓, HCT-116 ↓p-Nrf2
HK2↓, ↓HK2, ↓LDH-A, ↓PDK1, ↓glycolysis, PTEN/Akt/HIF-1α regulation
LDHA↓,
PDK1 / PDPK1↓,
Glycolysis↓,
PTEN↑, Furthermore, baicalein inhibited hypoxia-induced Akt phosphorylation by promoting PTEN accumulation, thereby attenuating hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha ( HIF-1a) expression in AGS cells.
Akt↓,
Hif1a↓,
MMP↓, SGC-7901 ↓ΔΨm
VEGF↓, ↓VEGF, ↓VEGFR2
VEGFR2/KDR/Flk1↓,
TOP2↓, ↓Topoisomerase II
uPA↓, ↓u-PA, ↓TIMP1, ↓TIMP2
TIMP1↓,
TIMP2↓,
cMyc↓, ↓β-catenin, ↓c-Myc, ↓cyclin D1, ↓Axin-2
TrxR↓, EL4 ↓Thioredoxin reductase, ↑ASK1,
ASK1↑,
Vim↓, ↓vimentin
ZO-1↑, ↑ZO-1
E-cadherin↑, ↑E-cadherin
SOX2↓, PANC-1, BxPC-3, SW1990 ↓Sox-2, ↓Oct-4, ↓SHH, ↓SMO, ↓Gli-2
OCT4↓,
Shh↓,
Smo↓,
Gli1↓,
N-cadherin↓, ↓N-cadherin
XIAP↓, ↓XIAP

2615- Ba,    The Multifaceted Role of Baicalein in Cancer Management through Modulation of Cell Signalling Pathways
- Review, Var, NA
*AntiCan↓, Baicalein is known to display anticancer activity through the inhibition of inflammation and cell proliferation
*Inflam↓,
TumCP↓,
NF-kB↓, baicalein decreased the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)
PPARγ↑, anti-inflammatory effects of baicalein might be initiated via PPARγ activation.
TumCCA↑, baicalein inhibited cell cycle progression and cell growth, and promoted apoptosis of cancer cells
JAK2↓, inactivation of the signaling pathway JAK2/STAT3 [63]
STAT3↓,
TumCMig↓, baicalein suppressed migration as well as invasion through decreasing the aerobic glycolysis and expression of MMP-2/9 proteins.
Glycolysis↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
selectivity↑, Furthermore, baicalein and baicalin had less inhibitory effects on normal ovarian cells’ viability.
VEGF↓, baicalein is more effective in inhibiting the expressions of VEGF, HIF-1α, cMyc, and NFκB
Hif1a↓,
cMyc↓,
ChemoSen↑, baicalein enhanced the cisplatin sensitivity of SGC-7901/DDP gastric cancer cells by inducing autophagy and apoptosis through the Akt/mTOR and Keap 1/Nrf2 pathways
ROS↑, oral squamous cell carcinoma Cal27 cells. Significantly, it was noticed that baicalein activated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in Cal27 cells
p‑mTOR↓, results suggest that p-mTOR, p-Akt, p-IκB, and NF-κB protein expressions were decreased
PTEN↑, Baicalein upregulated PTEN expression, downregulated miR-424-3p, and downregulated PI3K and p-Akt.

2603- Ba,    Baicalein inhibits prostate cancer cell growth and metastasis via the caveolin-1/AKT/mTOR pathway
- in-vitro, Pca, DU145 - in-vitro, Pca, PC3
TumCG↓, baicalein potently suppressed the growth and induced the apoptosis of DU145 and PC-3
Apoptosis↑,
Cav1↓, baicalein can suppress caveolin-1 and the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR in a time- and dose-dependent manner
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
Bax:Bcl2↑, revealed that the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was increased after baicalein treatment in a dose-dependent manner
survivin↓, survivin was decreased, whereas the level of cleaved PARP was elevated.
cl‑PARP↑,
BioAv↓, Although low water solubility, fast oxidative degradation, and fast metabolism limit its pharmaceutical use in some degree, various methods have been used to overcome these issues of flavonoids

5502- Ba,    An overview of pharmacological activities of baicalin and its aglycone baicalein: New insights into molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways
- Review, Var, NA
*AntiCan↑, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anticonvulsant, anti-oxidant, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective effects.
*antiOx↑,
*hepatoP↑,
*neuroP↑,
*ROS↓, pharmacological properties of baicalin and baicalein are due to their abilities to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS)
Ca+2↑, Baicalein mainly induced apoptosis through Ca+2 influx via Ca2+ release from the reticulum to cytosol dependent on phospholipase C protein
ROS↑, ROS production is associated with baicalein-induced apoptosis via Ca2+-dependent apoptosis in tongue and breast cancer cells (78, 79)
BAX↑, The level of Bax/Bcl-2 increased and caspase-3 and -9 were activated following the release of cytochrome C (80).
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
MMP↓, In gastric cancer cells, baicalein mediated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner through disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential
Mcl-1↓, In pancreatic cancer cells, baicalein induced apoptosis via suppression of the Mcl-1 protein.
PI3K↓, In HepG2 cells, baicalin-copper induced apoptosis through down-regulation of phosphoinositide-3 kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) signaling pathway
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
BAD↓, Studies demonstrated that baicalein treatment suppressed Bad, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and MEK1 expression both in vitro and in vivo.
ERK↓,
MEK↓,
DR5↑, Baicalein enhanced the activity of death receptor-5 (DR5) in prostate cancer PC3 cells.
Fas↑, baicalin is the active ingredient that acts as Fas ligand and caused up-regulation of Fas protein (89).
TumMeta↓, Baicalin/baicalein not only induced apoptosis in cancer cells but also suppressed metastasis.
EMT↓, both baicalin and baicalein inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through the suppression of TGF-β in breast epithelial cells through the NF-κB pathway (92).
SMAD4↓, baicalein suppressed metastasis in gastric cancer through inactivation of the Smad4/TGF-β pathway (93).
TGF-β↓,
MMP9↓, baicalin and baicalein inhibition of the expression level of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP-9 and MMP-2 in liver, breast, lung, ovarian, gastric, and colorectal cancers and glioma
MMP2↓,
HIF-1↓, Baicalin attenuated lung metastasis through inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)
12LOX↓, Baicalein acts as an anticancer agent via inhibiting 12-lipooxygenase (12-LOX),

5501- Ba,    Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of Baicalein on stomach cancer: a comprehensive systematic literature review
- Review, GC, NA
AntiCan↑, The review demonstrated that BC exerts therapeutic effects on GC through multiple biochemical mechanisms.
Apoptosis↑, BC plays an important role in inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, and suppressing metastasis in GC cells.
TumCP↓,
TumMeta↓,
BAX↑, graphical abstract
TumAuto↑,
ROS↑,
NRF2↝, BC induced apoptosis and autophagy in MGC-803, SGC-7901, and HGC-27 cells, enhancing cisplatin sensitivity via suppression of the AKT/mTOR pathway and modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 axis.
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
NF-kB↓,
TGF-β↓,
SMAD4↓,
GPx4↓, It induces autophagy and ferroptosis, partly through p53 activation and suppression of SLC7A11/GPX4, and disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential via reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation [31, 37]
MMP↓,
*HO-1↑, BC stabilizes Nrf2, leading to the induction of antioxidant enzymes such as HO-1, GST, and NQO1, which mitigate oxidative stress and contribute to its antitumor effects [38].
*GSTs↑,
*antiOx↑,
*AntiTum↑,
*NRF2↑,
ChemoSen↑, BC induced apoptosis and autophagy in MGC-803, SGC-7901, and HGC-27 cells, enhancing cisplatin sensitivity via suppression of the AKT/mTOR pathway and modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 axis.
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
FAK↓, reducing FAK expression
Ki-67↓, Immunohistochemical analysis also revealed lower Ki-67 levels, indicating reduced cellular proliferation.

5251- Ba,    The Fascinating Effects of Baicalein on Cancer: A Review
- Review, Var, NA
AntiTum↑, The anti-tumor functions of baicalein are mainly due to its capacities to inhibit complexes of cyclins to regulate the cell cycle, to scavenge oxidative radicals, to attenuate mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt) or mammali
TumCCA↓,
ROS↓,
MAPK↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
Casp3↑, , to induce apoptosis by activating caspase-9/-3 and to inhibit tumorinvasion and metastasis by reducing the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9).
Casp9↑,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
Securin↓, Baicalein also induced cell death by reducing the expression of securin, while also inhibiting cancer cell death by affecting the expression of p-AKT and γ-H2AX [26].
γH2AX↝,
N-cadherin↓, Baicalein also decreased the expression of metastasis-associated molecules, including N-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB1, and ZEB2.
Vim↓,
Zeb1↓,
ZEB2↓,
TumCMig↓, researchers demonstrated that baiclalein inhibited cellular adhesion, migration, invasion, and growth of HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo.
TumCG↑,
12LOX↓, Baicalein is an inhibitor of 12-LOX and induced apoptosis, morphological changes, and carbonic anhydrase expression in PaCa cells.
DR5↑, Baicalein lessened this resistance to TRAIL by upregulating DR5 expression and promoting the expression of ROS, thus causing TRAIL sensitization in PC3 cells [85]
ROS↑,
RadioS↑, baicalein increased the sensitivity of prostate cancer cells to radiation without affecting this sensitivity in normal cells
ChemoSen↑, Combination therapy of baicalein with paclitaxel, which were assembled by nanoparticles, was demonstrated to have synergistic anticancer effects in A549 lung cancer cells and in mice bearing A549/PTX drug-resistant lung cancer xenografts [97].
BioAv↓, It is worth noting that the bioavailability of baicalein in vivo remains low.

5250- Ba,    Exploring baicalein: A natural flavonoid for enhancing cancer prevention and treatment
- Review, Var, NA
Apoptosis↑, Baicalein is thought to prevent cancer progression by inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and genome instability, and its ability to promote chemo-potentiation, anti-metastatic effects, and regulate specific signalling molecules and transcription factors.
TumAuto↑,
DNAdam↑,
*antiOx↑, Baicalein has already been proven to be a radical scavenger that acts as an antioxidant [14,15
Inflam↓, it can also reduce inflammation [16] and act as an E2 prostaglandin inhibitor [17].
PGE2↓,
TumCCA↑, Baicalein properties prevent cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, cancer cell migration and invasion, and decrease angiogenesis [18,19].
TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
angioG↓,
selectivity↑, Furthermore, some studies have suggested that baicalein has a lower toxicity on normal cells than cancer cells, indicating some selectivity for cancer cells.
ChemoSen↑, the current review emphasises baicaleins' synergistic potential with other chemotherapeutic agents
HIF-1↓, baicalein against ovarian cancer by demonstrating that it can limit tumour cell viability by downregulating the expression of cancer-promoting genes such as HIF-1, cMyc, NFkB, and VEGF
cMyc↓,
NF-kB↓,
VEGF↓,
P53↑, Baicalein has been shown to activate p53, a tumour suppressor protein that regulates cell growth and division [26].
MMP2↓, anticancer properties of baicalein are mediated through various molecular mechanisms, including inhibition of MMP-2;
CSCs↓, inhibition of cancer stem cells
Bcl-xL↓, after bladder cancer cells were treated with baicalein, the expression of antiapoptotic genes (Bcl2, Bcl-xL, XIAP, and survivin) was reduced, and cell viability was decreased [38].
XIAP↓,
survivin↓,
tumCV↓,
Casp3↑, upregulating the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-8 and decreased the BCL-2/BAX ratio [16]
Casp8↑,
Bax:Bcl2↑,
Akt↓, in lung cancer cells, apoptosis was induced through the downregulation of the Akt/mTOR signalling pathway [25].
mTOR↓,
PCNA↓, baicalein treatment promoted apoptosis in mice with U87 gliomas by downregulating PCNA expression, enhancing the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 and improving the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio
MMP↓, baicalein treatment of lung cancer cells caused a collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), an increase in ROS generation, and enhanced PARP, caspase 3, and caspase 9 cleavage,
ROS↑,
PARP↑,
Casp9↑,
BioAv↑, Baicalein has been found to enhance the cytotoxicity and bioavailability of certain cancer therapy drugs when combined [85]
Synergy↑, combination of baicalein with silymarin differentially decreased the viability of HepG2 cells, enhanced the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase, upregulated tumour suppressors such as Rb and p53 and CDK inhibitors, and downregulated cyclin D1, cyc
P-gp/ABCB1↓, By inhibiting P-glycoprotein (P-gp), baicalein can increase the accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs within cancer cells [21]
BioAv↑, selenium–baicalein nanoparticles as a targeted therapeutic strategy for NSCLC. This strategy significantly improves the bioavailability of baicalein through several mechanisms.
selectivity↑, ome studies have suggested that baicalein has a lower toxicity on normal cells than cancer cells, indicating some selectivity for cancer cells

2290- Ba,    Research Progress of Scutellaria baicalensis in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancer
- Review, GI, NA
p‑mTOR↓, Baicalein treatment decreased the expression levels of p-mTOR, p-Akt, p-IκB and NF-κB proteins, and suppressed GC cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt
p‑Akt↓,
p‑IKKα↓,
NF-kB↓,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
ROCK1↓, Baicalin reduces HCC proliferation and metastasis by inhibiting the ROCK1/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway
GSK‐3β↓,
CycB/CCNB1↓, Baicalein induces S-phase arrest in gallbladder cancer cells by down-regulating Cyclin B1 and Cyclin D1 in gallbladder cancer BGC-SD and SGC996 cells while up-regulating Cyclin A
cycD1/CCND1↓,
cycA1/CCNA1↑,
CDK4↓, Following baicalein treatment, there is a down-regulation of Ezrin, CyclinD1, and CDK4, as well as an up-regulation of p53 and p21 protein levels, thereby leading to the induction of CRC HCT116 cell cycle arrest
P53↑,
P21↑,
TumCCA↑,
MMP2↓, baicalein was able to inhibit the metastasis of gallbladder cancer cells by down-regulating ZFX, MMP-2 and MMP-9.
MMP9↓,
EMT↓, Baicalein treatment effectively inhibits the snail-induced EMT process in CRC HT29 and DLD1 cells
Hif1a↓, Baicalein inhibits VEGF by downregulating HIF-1α, a crucial regulator of angiogenesis
Shh↓, baicalein inhibits the metastasis of PC by impeding the Shh pathway
PD-L1↓, Baicalin and baicalein down-regulate PD-L1 expression induced by IFN-γ by reducing STAT3 activity
STAT3↓,
IL1β↓, baicalein therapy significantly diminishes the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-6, and GM-CSF
IL2↓,
IL6↓,
PKM2↓, Baicalein, by reducing the expression levels of HIF-1A and PKM2, can inhibit the glycolysis process in ESCC cells
HDAC10↓, Baicalein treatment increases the level of miR-3178 and decreases HDAC10 expression, resulting in the inactivation of the AKT signaling pathways.
P-gp/ABCB1↓, baicalein reverses P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated resistance in multidrug-resistant HCC (Bel7402/5-FU) cells by reducing the levels of P-gp and Bcl-xl
Bcl-xL↓,
eff↓, Baicalein combined with gemcitabine/docetaxel promotes apoptosis of PC cells by activating the caspase-3/PARP signaling pathway
BioAv↓, baicalein suffers from low water solubility and susceptibility to degradation by the digestive system
BioAv↑, Encapsulation of baicalein into liposomal bilayers exhibits a therapeutic efficacy close to 90% for PDAC

1532- Ba,    Baicalein as Promising Anticancer Agent: A Comprehensive Analysis on Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives
- Review, NA, NA
ROS↑, Baicalein initially incited the formation of ROS, which subsequently aimed at endoplasmic reticulum stress and stimulated the Ca2+/-reliant mitochondrial death pathway.
ER Stress↑,
Ca+2↑,
MMPs↓,
Cyt‑c↑, cytochrome C release
Casp3↑,
ROS↑, Baicalein on apoptosis in human bladder cancer 5637 cells was investigated, and it was found that it induces ROS generation
DR5↑, Baicalein activates DR5 up-regulation
ROS↑, MCF-7 cells by inducing mitochondrial apoptotic cell death. It does this by producing ROS, such as hydroxyl radicals, and reducing Cu (II) to Cu (I) in the Baicalein–Cu (II) system
BAX↑,
Bcl-2↓,
MMP↓,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
P53↑,
p16↑,
P21↑,
p27/CDKN1B↑,
HDAC10↑, modulating the up-regulation of miR-3178 and Histone deacetylase 10 (HDAC10), which accelerates apoptotic cell death
MDM2↓, MDM2-mediated breakdown
Apoptosis↑,
PI3K↓, baicalein-influenced apoptosis is controlled via suppression of the PI3K/AKT axis
Akt↓,
p‑Akt↓, by reducing the concentrations of p-Akt, p-mTOR, NF-κB, and p-IκB while increasing IκB expression
p‑mTOR↓,
NF-kB↓,
p‑IκB↓,
IκB↑,
BAX↑,
Bcl-2↓,
ROS⇅, Based on its metabolic activities and intensity, Baicalein can act as an antioxidant and pro-oxidant.
BNIP3↑, Baicalein also increases the production of BNIP3 which is a protein stimulated by ROS and promotes apoptosis
p38↑,
12LOX↓, inhibition of 12-LOX (Platelet-type 12-Lipoxygenase)
Mcl-1↓,
Wnt?, decreasing Wnt activity
GLI2↓, Baicalein significantly reduced the presence of Gli-2, a crucial transcription factor in the SHH pathway
AR↓, downregulating the androgen receptor (AR)
eff↑, PTX/BAI NE could increase intracellular ROS levels, reduce cellular glutathione (GSH) levels, and trigger caspase-3 dynamism in MCF-7/Tax cells. Moreover, it exhibited higher efficacy in inhibiting tumors in vivo

2292- Ba,  BA,    Baicalin and baicalein in modulating tumor microenvironment for cancer treatment: A comprehensive review with future perspectives
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, Baicalin and baicalein exhibit anticancer activities against multiple cancers with extremely low toxicity to normal cells.
*toxicity↓,
BioAv↝, Baicalein permeates easily through the epithelium from the gut lumen to the blood underneath due to its low molecular mass and high lipophilicity, albeit a low presence of its transporters.
BioAv↓, In contrast, baicalin has limited permeability partly due to its larger molecular mass and higher hydrophilicity [24]. The overall low water solubility of baicalin and baicalein contributes to their poor bioavailability.
*ROS↓, baicalin protected macrophages against mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)-induced ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation by upregulating autophagy and TLR2-NFκB pathway
*TLR2↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*NRF2↑, Therefore, baicalin exerts strong antioxidant activity by activating NRF2 antioxidant program.
*antiOx↑,
*Inflam↓, These data suggest that by attenuating ROS and inflammation baicalein inhibits tumor formation and metastasis.
HDAC1↓, baicalein reduced CTCLs by inhibiting HDAC1 and HDAC8 and its effect on tumor inhibition was better than traditional HDAC inhibitors
HDAC8↓,
Wnt↓, Baicalein also reduced the proliferation of acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (TLL) Jurkat cells by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PD-L1↓, baicalein and baicalin promoted antitumor immune response by suppressing PD-L1 expression of HCC cells, thus increasing tumor regression
Sepsis↓, Baicalein can also attenuate severe sepsis via ameliorating immune dysfunction of T lymphocytes.
NF-kB↓, downregulation of NFκB and CD74/CD44 signaling in EBV-transformed B cells
LOX1↓, baicalein is considered to be an inhibitor of lipoxygenases (LOXs)
COX2/PTGS2↓, inhibits the expression of NF-κB/p65 and COX-2
VEGF↑, Baicalin was shown to suppress the expression of VEGF, resulting in the inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and reduction of proliferation and migration of human mesothelioma cells
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
MMP2↓, baicalin suppressed expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 via restriction of p38MAPK signaling, resulting in reduced breast cancer cell growth, invasion
MMP9↓,
SIRT1↑, The inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in NSCLC cells is mediated by activating the SIRT1/AMPK signaling pathway.
AMPK↑,

2599- Ba,    Baicalein induces apoptosis and autophagy of breast cancer cells via inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway in vivo and vitro
- in-vitro, BC, MCF7 - in-vitro, BC, MDA-MB-231 - in-vivo, NA, NA
TumCP↓, baicalein has the potential to suppress cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and autophagy of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.
Apoptosis↑,
p‑Akt↓, baicalein significantly downregulated the expression of p-AKT, p-mTOR, NF-κB, and p-IκB
p‑mTOR↓,
NF-kB↓,
p‑IKKα↓,
IKKα↑, while enhancing the expression of IκB in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231
PI3K↓, baicalein induces apoptosis and autophagy of breast cancer cells via inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in vivo and vitro
MMP↓, increasing dose of baicalein, the ΔΨm was decreased in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells.
TumAuto↑, Baicalein induces autophagy in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells
TumVol↓, demonstrated that the growth, volume, and weight of tumors were significantly suppressed in the baicalein-treated group compared with the control group
TumW↓,

2296- Ba,    The most recent progress of baicalein in its anti-neoplastic effects and mechanisms
- Review, Var, NA
CDK1↓, graphical abstract
Cyc↓,
p27/CDKN1B↑,
P21↑,
P53↑,
TumCCA↑, Cell cycle arrest
TumCI↓, Inhibit invastion
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
E-cadherin↑,
N-cadherin↓,
Vim↓,
LC3A↑,
p62↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
PD-L1↓,
CAFs/TAFs↓,
VEGF↓,
ROCK1↓,
Bcl-2↓,
Bcl-xL↓,
BAX↑,
ROS↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,
PTEN↑, A549, H460
MMP↓, ↓mitochondrial transmembrane potential, redistribution of cytochrome c,
Cyt‑c↑,
Ca+2↑, ↑Ca2+
PERK↑, ↑PERK, ↑IRE1α, ↑CHOP,
IRE1↑,
CHOP/DDIT3↑,
Copper↑, ↑Cu+2
Snail↓, ↓Snail, ↓vimentin, ↓Twist1,
Vim↓,
Twist↓,
GSH↓, ↑ROS, ↓GSH, ↑MDA, ↓MMP, ↓NRF2, ↓HO-1, ↓GPX4, ↓FTH1, ↑TFR1, ↓p-JAK2, ↓p-STAT3
NRF2↓,
HO-1↓,
GPx4↓,
XIAP↓, ↓Bcl-2, ↓Bcl-xL, ↓XIAP, ↓surviving
survivin↓,
DR5↑, ↑ROS, ↑DR5


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 13 of 13

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 13

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

Copper↑, 1,   GPx4↓, 2,   GSH↓, 2,   HO-1↓, 1,   NRF2↓, 1,   NRF2↝, 1,   p‑NRF2↓, 1,   ROS↓, 1,   ROS↑, 9,   ROS⇅, 1,   i-ROS↑, 1,   TrxR↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis(tgid=4) ⓘ

12LOX↓, 3,   AMPK↑, 1,   GLS↓, 1,   GlutMet↓, 1,   Glycolysis↓, 2,   GSK‐3β↓, 1,   HK2↓, 1,   LDHA↓, 1,   PDK1 / PDPK1↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 1,   SIRT1↑, 1,  

Cell Death(tgid=5) ⓘ

Apoptosis↑, 6,   ASK1↑, 1,   BAD↓, 1,   BAX↑, 6,   Bax:Bcl2↑, 2,   Bcl-2↓, 4,   Bcl-xL↓, 3,   BNIP3↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 7,   cl‑Casp3↓, 1,   Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 6,   cl‑Casp9↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 4,   DR5↑, 4,   Fas↑, 1,   Mcl-1↓, 2,   MDM2↓, 1,   p38↑, 1,   survivin↓, 3,   XIAP↓, 3,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction(tgid=6) ⓘ

Akt↓, 9,   p‑Akt↓, 5,   ERK↓, 1,   IKKα↑, 1,   p‑IKKα↓, 2,   IκB↑, 1,   p‑IκB↓, 1,   JAK2↓, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,   MEK↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 6,   p‑mTOR↓, 7,   PI3K↓, 6,   PTEN↑, 3,   STAT3↓, 3,  

Transcription & Epigenetics(tgid=7) ⓘ

cMyc↓, 3,   HDAC1↓, 1,   HDAC10↓, 1,   HDAC10↑, 1,   HDAC8↓, 1,   OCT4↓, 1,   SOX2↓, 1,   tumCV↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress(tgid=8) ⓘ

CHOP/DDIT3↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 1,   IRE1↑, 1,   PERK↑, 1,  

Autophagy & Lysosomes(tgid=9) ⓘ

LC3A↑, 1,   p62↓, 1,   TumAuto↑, 3,  

DNA Damage & Repair(tgid=10) ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   p16↑, 1,   P53↑, 4,   PARP↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 2,   PCNA↓, 1,   TOP2↓, 1,   γH2AX↝, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence(tgid=11) ⓘ

CDK1↓, 1,   CDK4↓, 1,   Cyc↓, 1,   cycA1/CCNA1↑, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   P21↑, 3,   p27/CDKN1B↑, 2,   Securin↓, 1,   TumCCA↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 4,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State(tgid=12) ⓘ

CSCs↓, 1,   Gli1↓, 1,   Ki-67↓, 1,   NOTCH↓, 1,   Shh↓, 2,   Smo↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 2,   TumCG↑, 1,   TumCP↓, 4,   Wnt?, 1,   Wnt↓, 2,  

Migration(tgid=13) ⓘ

Ca+2↑, 4,   CAFs/TAFs↓, 1,   Cav1↓, 1,   E-cadherin↑, 3,   EMT↓, 2,   FAK↓, 1,   GLI2↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 9,   MMP9↓, 8,   MMPs↓, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 3,   ROCK1↓, 2,   SMAD4↓, 2,   Snail↓, 2,   TGF-β↓, 2,   TIMP1↓, 1,   TIMP2↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 3,   TumCMig↓, 3,   TumMeta↓, 3,   Twist↓, 1,   uPA↓, 1,   Vim↓, 5,   Zeb1↓, 1,   ZEB2↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 2,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature(tgid=14) ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   HIF-1↓, 2,   Hif1a↓, 3,   LOX1↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 4,   VEGF↑, 1,   VEGFR2/KDR/Flk1↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport(tgid=15) ⓘ

GLUT1↓, 1,   MMP↓, 7,   ZO-1↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

COX2/PTGS2↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL2↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   Inflam↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 8,   PD-L1↓, 3,   PGE2↓, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors(tgid=20) ⓘ

AR↓, 1,   PPARγ↓, 1,   PPARγ↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance(tgid=21) ⓘ

BioAv↓, 4,   BioAv↑, 3,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 4,   eff↓, 1,   eff↑, 1,   P-gp/ABCB1↓, 2,   RadioS↑, 1,   selectivity↑, 3,   Synergy↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers(tgid=22) ⓘ

AR↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   PD-L1↓, 3,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 2,   AntiTum↑, 1,   TumVol↓, 1,   TumW↓, 1,  

Infection & Microbiome(tgid=24) ⓘ

Sepsis↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 170

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress(tgid=1) ⓘ

antiOx↑, 4,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 2,   ROS↓, 2,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling(tgid=16) ⓘ

Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,   TLR2↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes(tgid=23) ⓘ

AntiCan↓, 1,   AntiCan↑, 1,   AntiTum↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,   toxicity∅, 1,  
Total Targets: 15

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin
13 Baicalein
1 Baicalin
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:38  Target#:209  State#:%  Dir#:1
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

Home Page