Abstract
Natural products are often used in drug development due to their ability to form unique and diverse chemical structures. Coumestans are polycyclic aromatic plant secondary metabolites containing a coumestan moiety, which consists of a benzoxole fused to a chromen-2-one to form 1-Benzoxolo[3,2-c]chromen-6-one. These natural compounds are known for large number of biological activities. Many of their biological effects can be attributed to their action as phytoestrogens and polyphenols. In the last decade, anticancer effects of these compounds have been described in vitro but there is only limited number of studies based on models in vivo. More information concerning their in vivo bioavailability, stability, metabolism, toxicity, estrogenicity, cellular targets and drug interactions is therefore needed to proceed further to clinical studies. This review focuses on coumestans exhibiting anticancer properties and summarizes mechanisms of their toxicity to cancer cells. Moreover, the possible role of coumestans in cancer prevention is discussed.
Keywords: Cancer, cellular target, coumestrol, coumestan, glycyrol, psoralidin, therapy, wedelolactone.
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Plant Coumestans: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Cancer Therapy
Volume: 14 Issue: 10
Author(s): Tereza Nehybova, Jan Smarda and Petr Benes
Affiliation:
Keywords: Cancer, cellular target, coumestrol, coumestan, glycyrol, psoralidin, therapy, wedelolactone.
Abstract: Natural products are often used in drug development due to their ability to form unique and diverse chemical structures. Coumestans are polycyclic aromatic plant secondary metabolites containing a coumestan moiety, which consists of a benzoxole fused to a chromen-2-one to form 1-Benzoxolo[3,2-c]chromen-6-one. These natural compounds are known for large number of biological activities. Many of their biological effects can be attributed to their action as phytoestrogens and polyphenols. In the last decade, anticancer effects of these compounds have been described in vitro but there is only limited number of studies based on models in vivo. More information concerning their in vivo bioavailability, stability, metabolism, toxicity, estrogenicity, cellular targets and drug interactions is therefore needed to proceed further to clinical studies. This review focuses on coumestans exhibiting anticancer properties and summarizes mechanisms of their toxicity to cancer cells. Moreover, the possible role of coumestans in cancer prevention is discussed.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Nehybova Tereza, Smarda Jan and Benes Petr, Plant Coumestans: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives in Cancer Therapy, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2014; 14 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520614666140713172949
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520614666140713172949 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Induction of cell death in cancer cells by modulating telomerase activity using small molecule drugs
Telomeres are distinctive but short stretches present at the corners of chromosomes and aid in stabilizing chromosomal makeup. Resynthesis of telomeres supported by the activity of reverse transcriptase ribonucleoprotein complex telomerase. There is no any telomerase activity in human somatic cells, but the stem cells and germ cells undergone telomerase ...read more
Role of natural compounds as anti anti-cancer agents
Cancer is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy remains an important approach in treatment o f several types of cancers, even though ...read more
Signaling and enzymatic modulators in cancer treatment
Cancer accounts for nearly 10 million deaths in 2022 and is considered the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Cancer outcome can be improved through an appropriate screening and early detection and through an efficient clinical treatment. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are the most important approach for the treatment of several ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
In Vivo Cellular Imaging for Translational Medical Research
Current Medical Imaging The Mechanism of Calcitriol in Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Current Medicinal Chemistry Recent Progress on Apoptotic Activity of Triazoles
Current Drug Targets Screening and Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes Between Diabetic Nephropathy Glomerular and Normal Glomerular via Bioinformatics Technology
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Role of Cervical Cancer Radiotherapy in the Expression of EGFR and p53 Gene
Current Proteomics Chromatin Remodeling Agents for Cancer Therapy
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Piperine: Medicinal, Analytical and Therapeutics perspective
Current Bioactive Compounds A Genetic Dissection of Antipsychotic Induced Movement Disorders
Current Medicinal Chemistry PI3K/Akt/mTOR Intracellular Pathway and Breast Cancer: Factors, Mechanism and Regulation
Current Pharmaceutical Design Intracellular Fate of Peptide-Mediated Delivered Cargoes
Current Pharmaceutical Design Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase: a Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target for Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry A Narrative Review of Diabetes Group Visits in Low-Income and Underserved Settings
Current Diabetes Reviews The Emerging Role of Sunitinib in the Treatment of Advanced Epithelial Thyroid Cancer: Our Experience and Review of Literature
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Evaluation of the Effects of 1,25 Vitamin D3 on Regulatory T Cells and T Helper 17 Cells in Vitamin D-deficient Women with Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Current Molecular Pharmacology The Role of TNFSF15 in the Modulation of Neovascularization and Inflammation
Current Hypertension Reviews A Lesion based and Sub-regional Comparison of FDG PET/CT and MDP Bone Scintigraphy in Detection of Bone Metastasis in Breast Cancer
Current Medical Imaging Reducing the Burden of Cervical Cancer in the Developing World
Current Women`s Health Reviews The Renin-angiotensin System as a Target of Novel Anticancer Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design Nutraceuticals for Promoting Longevity
Current Nutraceuticals Thyroid Ultrasound and Other Imaging Procedures in the Pediatric Age
Current Pediatric Reviews