191
Quassinoids found in Simaroubaceae members and a novel one 2′-(R)-Oacetylglaucarubinone isolated from Odyendyea gabonensis showed potent cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines like prostate (DU145), lung (A549), and oral
epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells (Usami et al. 2010). Tanshinone I, tanshinone
IIA, and cryptotanshinone exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity against cell
lines of breast cancer, cervical cancer, etc.
In the early 1960s, the anti-cancer property of camptothecin (from Camptotheca
acuminata), a drug-inhibiting DNA topoisomerase1, was discovered and this revolutionized the field of chemotherapy (Wall et al. 1966; Wall 1998), also inhibiting
colon and pancreatic cancer cells (Redinbo et al. 1998; Staker et al. 2002) and cancer types like breast, liver, prostate, etc.
Combretastatins are anti-cancer agents isolated from the bark of the South
African tree Combretum caffrum (Pettit et al. 1987). Combretastatin A-4, a simple
Stilbene, was found to inhibit the polymerization of brain tubulin by binding to the
colchicine site (Hamel and Lin 1983). It is also cytotoxic to human cancer cell lines
like MDR. CA-4 could serve as a lead molecule for drug development against cancer (McGowan and Fox 1990; El-Zayat et al. 1993). CA-4 induces apoptosis and
mitotic catastrophe there by eradicating bladder cancer (Shen et al. 2010).
Considering the potent activity of CA-4 for the treatment of tumours, many synthetic analogues of CA-4 have been synthesized to improve upon its cytotoxic activity and inhibition of tubulin polymerization (Ohsumi et al. 1998, Nam 2003; Tron
et al. 2006). Combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P; fosbretabulin), a tubulin-binding
vascular disrupting agent, displays potent and selective toxicity towards tumour
vasculature (Tozer et al. 1999). Shen et al. (2010) described the scope for using
CA-4 for intravesical therapy, as it inhibited cell migration in vitro.
Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, is a potential treasure chest
for chemicals useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer (Devi 1996). Cedrus
deodara, Berberis aristata, Picrorhiza kurroa, and Piper longum L. were shown to
have anti-cancer activity against cell lines (Gaidhani et al. 2013). The anti-cancer
value of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) documented over four decades ago is
attributed to withaferin A, a crystalline steroidal compound isolated from its leaves
(Shohat et al. 1976). W. somnifera contains steroidal lactones collectively referred
to as withanolides isolated from the root or leaf (Jayaprakasam et al. 2003; Ichikawa
et al. 2006). Withaferin A is found to be the most effective among these, proved by
in vivo pre-clinical studies on rodent systems. It is clear that Withaferin A targets
multiple molecules/pathways that may be cell line-specific (Vyas and Singh 2014).
Recent studies indicate Withaferin A to be a possible chemotherapeutic drug candidate for human oral cancer (Yang et al. 2015).
Tanshinones, isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, showed significant in vitro cytotoxicity against several human carcinoma cell lines such as breast cancer cells, cervical cancer cells, prostate cancer growth, etc. (Zhang et al. 2012).
Couroupita guianensis, commonly known as Nagalinga pushpam in Tamil, was
found to have anti-cancer activity against cancer cell lines, viz., Caco2, MCF-7,
A-431, and HeLa, using MTT assay. In vitro, antioxidant activities against free
8 Cancer Combating Biomolecules From Plants
Quassinoids found in Simaroubaceae members and a novel one 2′-(R)-Oacetylglaucarubinone isolated from Odyendyea gabonensis showed potent cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines like prostate (DU145), lung (A549), and oral
epidermoid carcinoma (KB) cells (Usami et al. 2010). Tanshinone I, tanshinone
IIA, and cryptotanshinone exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity against cell
lines of breast cancer, cervical cancer, etc.
In the early 1960s, the anti-cancer property of camptothecin (from Camptotheca
acuminata), a drug-inhibiting DNA topoisomerase1, was discovered and this revolutionized the field of chemotherapy (Wall et al. 1966; Wall 1998), also inhibiting
colon and pancreatic cancer cells (Redinbo et al. 1998; Staker et al. 2002) and cancer types like breast, liver, prostate, etc.
Combretastatins are anti-cancer agents isolated from the bark of the South
African tree Combretum caffrum (Pettit et al. 1987). Combretastatin A-4, a simple
Stilbene, was found to inhibit the polymerization of brain tubulin by binding to the
colchicine site (Hamel and Lin 1983). It is also cytotoxic to human cancer cell lines
like MDR. CA-4 could serve as a lead molecule for drug development against cancer (McGowan and Fox 1990; El-Zayat et al. 1993). CA-4 induces apoptosis and
mitotic catastrophe there by eradicating bladder cancer (Shen et al. 2010).
Considering the potent activity of CA-4 for the treatment of tumours, many synthetic analogues of CA-4 have been synthesized to improve upon its cytotoxic activity and inhibition of tubulin polymerization (Ohsumi et al. 1998, Nam 2003; Tron
et al. 2006). Combretastatin A4 phosphate (CA4P; fosbretabulin), a tubulin-binding
vascular disrupting agent, displays potent and selective toxicity towards tumour
vasculature (Tozer et al. 1999). Shen et al. (2010) described the scope for using
CA-4 for intravesical therapy, as it inhibited cell migration in vitro.
Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, is a potential treasure chest
for chemicals useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer (Devi 1996). Cedrus
deodara, Berberis aristata, Picrorhiza kurroa, and Piper longum L. were shown to
have anti-cancer activity against cell lines (Gaidhani et al. 2013). The anti-cancer
value of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) documented over four decades ago is
attributed to withaferin A, a crystalline steroidal compound isolated from its leaves
(Shohat et al. 1976). W. somnifera contains steroidal lactones collectively referred
to as withanolides isolated from the root or leaf (Jayaprakasam et al. 2003; Ichikawa
et al. 2006). Withaferin A is found to be the most effective among these, proved by
in vivo pre-clinical studies on rodent systems. It is clear that Withaferin A targets
multiple molecules/pathways that may be cell line-specific (Vyas and Singh 2014).
Recent studies indicate Withaferin A to be a possible chemotherapeutic drug candidate for human oral cancer (Yang et al. 2015).
Tanshinones, isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, showed significant in vitro cytotoxicity against several human carcinoma cell lines such as breast cancer cells, cervical cancer cells, prostate cancer growth, etc. (Zhang et al. 2012).
Couroupita guianensis, commonly known as Nagalinga pushpam in Tamil, was
found to have anti-cancer activity against cancer cell lines, viz., Caco2, MCF-7,
A-431, and HeLa, using MTT assay. In vitro, antioxidant activities against free
8 Cancer Combating Biomolecules From Plants