Table 1 Summary of active components and pharmacological effects of mineral drugs
From: Mineral medicine: from traditional drugs to multifunctional delivery systems
Compound | Source | Efficacy indications | Pharmacological activity and mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
Mercury | Cinnabar (HgS) | Tranquillization with heavy prescription, improving eyesight, and removing toxicity substances | Conserve dopaminergic neurons from lipopolysaccharide-induced neurotoxicity by suppressing the microglial activation and proinflammatory factor production [114] Neuroprotective effect on ischemic stroke and reperfusion injury [115] Neuroprotective effect on neurodegenerative diseases [116] Reduce oxidative stress by regulating 5-HT metabolism [126] |
Iron | Magnetite (Fe3O4) | Tranquillization with heavy prescription and suppressing hyperactive liver and subsiding yang | Induce apoptosis of A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line [127] |
Ochre (Fe2O3) | Suppressing hyperactive liver for descending adverse qi and cooling blood for hemostasis | Inhibit the expression of some inflammatory cytokines and interferon response genes, regulate T cell immune activity, and play an anti-inflammatory role [128] Induction of TNF in RAW264.7 cells- α and IL-6 expression [129, 130] | |
Calcium | Gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) | Clearing heat-fire and quenching thirst | Increase the utterance level of Aquaporin-3, accelerate the formation of collagen and capillaries on the wound, and promote the proliferation of granulation tissue, thereby promoting the healing of the skin wound [131, 132] |
Arsenic | Realgar (As2S2) | Killing ascarid and removing toxic substances, eliminating dampness and phlegm, and preventing malaria | Inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cell line F-36P and induce its apoptosis [133] Inducing apoptosis of human liver cancer HepG2, QGY-7703 cells and blocking cell cycle G2/M progression [134,135,136,137] Inhibit the overexpression of microRNA-372 to restrain the pervasion and diaspora of prostate neoplasm cells [138] Prohibition of gastric carcinoma cells metastasis via the NFA Tc3/c-Myc roadway [139, 140] Repress the activity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 in human chest cancer cells [91, 141] |
Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) | Eliminating pus and necrotic tissues, dissipating phlegm, and preventing malaria | Induce Molt-4 and Mutz-1 autophagy damage in leukemia cells [133] | |
Aluminum | Alum (KAl (SO4)2·12H2O) | Killing ascarid and removing toxicity substance for external, eliminating phlegm for calming endogenous wind and hemostasis for internal | Reduce the content of collagen in the myometrium, gene representation, and albumen concentration of MMP-2 and MMP-9 to improve uterine leiomyoma [142] |
Halloysite (Al4(Si4O10) (OH)8 · 4H2O) | Astringing sores, promoting granulation and hemostasis | Protect locally inflamed gastrointestinal mucosa | |
Copper | Blue vitriol (CuSO4·5H2O) | Eliminating necrosis and detoxication | Promote bile secretion and have a sialagogic effect |
Sodium | Mirabilite (Na2SO4·10H2O) | Clearing heat for detumescence and moistening dryness for relaxing bowels | Promote intestinal activity and improve gastrointestinal dysfunction [143] |
Magnesium | Talc (Mg3(Si4O10) (OH)2) | Clearing heat and freeing strangury | Protect the inflamed gastrointestinal mucosa or damaged skin tissues [144] |