Monoterpenes (C₁₀)

Albiflorin has anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant-like effects. Albiflorin may reduce or prevent osteoblast degeneration in osteoporosis, and may promote the recovery of bone marrow hemopoietic function in a myelosuppressed mouse model, it has neuroprotective effect on primary hippocampal cells against β-amyloid induced toxicity.

Paeoniflorin, a novel heat shock protein-inducing compound, is mediated by the activation of heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1), which has antiallergic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects. Paeoniflorin can activate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to protect the PC12 cell injury induced by Aβ25-35, it protects thymocytes against irradiation-induced cell damage by scavenging ROS and attenuating the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases.

Benzoylpaeoniflorin can restrain apoptosis of rats with coronary heart diseases by increasing the levels of Bc1-2 and decreasing the levels of Bax, suggesting that it may treat coronary heart disease by decreasing apoptosis.

Cantharidin, a natural toxicant of blister beetles, is a strong inhibitor of protein phosphatases types 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A), and is a novel and potent multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal agent. Cantharidin has anti-tumor activity, it causes oxidative stress that provokes DNA damage and p53-dependent apoptosis, it impairs cell migration and invasion by suppressing MMP-2 and -9 through PI3K/NF-κB signaling pathways.