Recent Advances of Natural and Synthetic β-Carbolines as Anticancer Agents

Author(s):

Mingming Zhang and Dianqing Sun   Pages 537 - 547 ( 11 )

Abstract:

Cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, being responsible for millions of deaths annually. Therefore, novel cancer chemotherapeutic agents are urgently needed to combat this devastating disease. β - Carboline alkaloids are an important class of natural products and medicinal molecules, which exert their anticancer activities through diverse mechanisms. In this review, we cover recent natural and synthetic β - carbolines with anticancer activity that have been reported in the literature (2010-July 2014), focusing on their chemical structures, anticancer properties, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms of action.

Keywords:

Alkaloid, Anticancer, Antitumor, β -Carboline, Mechanism of action, Natural product, Structureactivity relationship.

Affiliation:

, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, University of Hawaii at Hilo, 34 Rainbow Drive, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.

Graphical Abstract:

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