The recent advances in the study on chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and antitumor mechanism of Polytrichum spp. are reviewed. A series of new compounds with novel skeletons and significant bioactivities have been obtained from Polytrichum spp. For example, 11 new benzonaphthoxanthenones with novel polycyclic skeleton, 2 unusual flavonones coupled with styryl units and 2 novel cinnamoyl bibenzyls from the moss Polytrichum commune L.ex Hedw, Polytrichum ohioense Ren&Card and Polytrichum pallidisetum Funck, respectively. These compounds exhibited cytotoxicity against several kinds of tumor cells in vitro, including human lung carcinoma (A549), human hepatoma carcinoma (HepG2), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7 & MDAMB435), huamn bowel carcinoma (LOVO), human colon adenocarcinoma (HT29), Human melanoma (RPMI7951) and human glioblastoma multiforme (U251). Moreover, these new compounds also can significantly inhibit the growth of leukaemia cells (6TCEM human T cell leukemia, 9PS murine P388 leukemia and L1210 murine lymphocytic leukemia). Studies demonstrated that mitochondria dysfunction, excessive accumulation of active oxygen radicals, cell cycle arrest, cell membrane injury and cell apoptosisinducing are the possible underlying antitumor mechanisms. Further studies are needed to confirm the chemical structureantitumor activity relationship, drug metabolism, antitumor effects and precise mechanism not only in vitro but in vivo.

polytrichum; phytochemical component; anticancer mechanism