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investigations by Hartwell and colleagues (Pettit 1995), on the anti-cancer effect of
podophyllotoxin and its derivatives. The biological and chemical diversity among
natural resources promotes the discovery of novel compounds. Administration of
these compounds, especially in combination with synthetic agents leads to the management and cure of human cancer. Nearly 75% of the medications being prescribed
for use in cancer treatment are sourced from plants (Table 1) and approximately
74% of these were discovered from the traditional claims (Shishodia and Aggarwal
2004).
The phytochemicals that offer protection against cancer are “curcumin, genistein, resveratrol, diallyl sulfide, (S)-allyl cystein, allicin, lycopene, ellagic acid,
ursolic acid, catechins, eugenol, isoeugenol, isoflavones, protease inhibitors, saponins, phytosterols, vitamin C, lutein, folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin E and flavonoids, to name but a few” (Reddy et al. 2003).
Table 1 Some anti-cancer/cytotoxic drugs developed from plant sources
Therapeutic agent/Chemical
compound
Plant source
Type of cancer
References
Vinblastine, vincristine
(alkaloids)
Catharanthus roseus
Hodgkin’s
disease
Mans et al.
(2000)
Etoposide, teniposide
(epipodophyllotoxin)
Podophyllum peltatum
Testicular
cancer, and
small cell lung
carcinoma,
leukemias,
Lymphomas
Lee (1999)
Mans et al.
(2000)
Paclitaxel, docetaxel
(taxanes)
Taxus brevifolia
Ovarian and
breast carcinoma
Mans et al.
(2000)
Irinotecan, topotecan,
9-aminocampothecin,
9-nitrocampothecin
(alkaloids)
Camptotheca acuminata
Advanced
colorectal
cancer, also
active in lung,
cervix and
ovarian cancer
Srivastava
et al. (2005)
Homoharingtonine
(alkaloids)
Harringtonia cephalotaxus Various
leukemias
Mans et al.
(2000)
4-Ipomeanol (Pneumotoxic
furan derivative)
Ipomoea batatas
Lung cancer
Mans et al.
(2000)
Salograviolide A
(sesquiterpene)
Centaurea ainetensis
Colon cancer
Salla et al.
(2013)
Iso-eco-tanapartholide
(sesquiterpene)
Achillea falcata
Colon cancer
Salla et al.
(2013)
Betulinic acid (tri-terpene)
Ziziphus mauritiana.
Human
melanoma
Pisha et al.
(1995)
Pervilleine A (tropane
alkaloid)
Erythroxylum pervillei
Oral cancer
Silva et al.
(2001)
Sylvesterol
Aglaia foveolata Pannell
Prostrate cancer Hwang et al.
(2004)
8 Cancer Combating Biomolecules From Plants
investigations by Hartwell and colleagues (Pettit 1995), on the anti-cancer effect of
podophyllotoxin and its derivatives. The biological and chemical diversity among
natural resources promotes the discovery of novel compounds. Administration of
these compounds, especially in combination with synthetic agents leads to the management and cure of human cancer. Nearly 75% of the medications being prescribed
for use in cancer treatment are sourced from plants (Table 1) and approximately
74% of these were discovered from the traditional claims (Shishodia and Aggarwal
2004).
The phytochemicals that offer protection against cancer are “curcumin, genistein, resveratrol, diallyl sulfide, (S)-allyl cystein, allicin, lycopene, ellagic acid,
ursolic acid, catechins, eugenol, isoeugenol, isoflavones, protease inhibitors, saponins, phytosterols, vitamin C, lutein, folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin E and flavonoids, to name but a few” (Reddy et al. 2003).
Table 1 Some anti-cancer/cytotoxic drugs developed from plant sources
Therapeutic agent/Chemical
compound
Plant source
Type of cancer
References
Vinblastine, vincristine
(alkaloids)
Catharanthus roseus
Hodgkin’s
disease
Mans et al.
(2000)
Etoposide, teniposide
(epipodophyllotoxin)
Podophyllum peltatum
Testicular
cancer, and
small cell lung
carcinoma,
leukemias,
Lymphomas
Lee (1999)
Mans et al.
(2000)
Paclitaxel, docetaxel
(taxanes)
Taxus brevifolia
Ovarian and
breast carcinoma
Mans et al.
(2000)
Irinotecan, topotecan,
9-aminocampothecin,
9-nitrocampothecin
(alkaloids)
Camptotheca acuminata
Advanced
colorectal
cancer, also
active in lung,
cervix and
ovarian cancer
Srivastava
et al. (2005)
Homoharingtonine
(alkaloids)
Harringtonia cephalotaxus Various
leukemias
Mans et al.
(2000)
4-Ipomeanol (Pneumotoxic
furan derivative)
Ipomoea batatas
Lung cancer
Mans et al.
(2000)
Salograviolide A
(sesquiterpene)
Centaurea ainetensis
Colon cancer
Salla et al.
(2013)
Iso-eco-tanapartholide
(sesquiterpene)
Achillea falcata
Colon cancer
Salla et al.
(2013)
Betulinic acid (tri-terpene)
Ziziphus mauritiana.
Human
melanoma
Pisha et al.
(1995)
Pervilleine A (tropane
alkaloid)
Erythroxylum pervillei
Oral cancer
Silva et al.
(2001)
Sylvesterol
Aglaia foveolata Pannell
Prostrate cancer Hwang et al.
(2004)
8 Cancer Combating Biomolecules From Plants