title: Pro-oxidant natural products as anticancer agents.
abstract: Cancer cells produce high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that lead to a state of increased basal oxidative stress. Since this state of oxidative stress makes cancer cells vulnerable to agents that further augment ROS levels, the use of pro-oxidant agents is emerging as an exciting strategy to selectively target tumor cells. Natural products have provided a significant contribution to the development of several drugs currently used in cancer chemotherapy. Although many natural products are known to affect the redox state of the cell, most studies on these compounds have focused on their antioxidant activity instead of on their pro-oxidant properties. This article provides an overview of natural products with pro-oxidant and anticancer activities, with special focus on plant secondary metabolites, and discusses their possible use as cancer chemotherapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin-Cordero
authors.forename: Antonio Jose
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leon-Gonzalez
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Calderon-Montano
authors.forename: Estefania
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Burgos-Moron
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopez-Lazaro
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species