Natural antineoplastic

Plant products have been used extensively in the treatment of malignant disease since thousands of years, but the studies of Dustin in 193 8 on the cytotoxicity of colchicin heralded the start of the search for natural antineoplastic drugs. Today a large number of chemical constituents isolated from naturally occurring plant products have proved to the quite efficacious as antitumour agents. 

Glatt, H., Eich, E., Pertz, H., Beckei C. and Oesch, F. (1987) Mutagenicity experiments on agroclavines, new natural antineoplastic compounds. Cancer Res., 47, 1811-1814. 

Total synthesis of dactinomycin has been accompHshed, and at least thirty natural actinomycins and many synthetic and semisynthetic actinomycins have been tested (220,221,228). At one time cactinomycin [8052-16-2] (actinomycin C), a mixture of actinomycins D, C2, and C3, was sold as an antineoplastic. 

Two derivatives of podophyllotoxin (38), etoposide (39) and tenipo-side (40), are further examples of the use of a natural product as a drug lead. In 1890, podophyllotoxin was isolated from Podophyllumpeltatum L. (American May Apple), and in 1948, it was shown to have antineoplastic activity in mice bearing tumors. Then, hundreds of podophyllotoxin... 

Pettit GR, Day JF, Hartwell JL, Wood HB (1970) Antineoplastic components of marine animals. Nature 227 962-963... 

Quercetin, a ubiquitous polyphenolic flavonoid, is one of the most potent natural antioxidants. In addition to its antioxidant properties, quercetin exhibits other activities that may enhance antineoplastic activity. As with genistein, clinical studies are yet to be performed to determine the impact of quercetin on cancer chemotherapy. 

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