ABSTRACT
Chinese medicines (CMs) are increasingly being used for the treatment of tumors because of their unique advantages. The induction of tumor cell apoptosis is an important method of tumor treatment. Caspase-3 is a member of the caspase (cysteine aspartic proteinases) family of enzymes, which are the major inducers of apoptosis. Caspase-3 activity is often measured in the context of research into anti-tumor drugs that target apoptosis. Many studies have shown that CMs upregulate the expression of caspase-3 in tumor cells via extrinsic and/or intrinsic pathways, removing endogenous suppression of apoptosis and promoting tumor cell death. Therefore, several CMs fulfill the criteria for anti-tumor drugs. In this paper, we review the efficacy of 14 Chinese herbal medicines, across a wide range applications, and discuss their effects on caspase-3 activity in tumor cells.