A tannin compound from Sanguisorba officinalis blocks Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and induces apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells

Background Sanguisorba officinalis, a popular Chinese herb, called DiYu, has been shown to inhibit the growth of many human cancer cell lines, including colorectal cancer cells. The aims of this study were to discover the active compound and molecular mechanism of S. officinalis against Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and develop Wnt inhibitors from natural products as anti-colorectal cancer agents.