title: Deoxypodophyllotoxin: a promising therapeutic agent from herbal medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, biologically active compounds isolated from plants used in herbal medicine have been the center of interest. Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), structurally closely related to the lignan podophyllotoxin, is a potent antitumor and anti-inflammatory agent. However, DPT has not been used clinically yet. Also, DPT from natural sources seems to be unavailable. Hence, it is important to establish alternative resources for the production of such lignan; especially that it is used as a precursor for the semi-synthesis of the cytostatic drugs etoposide phosphate and teniposide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The update paper provides an overview of DPT as an effective anticancer natural compound and a leader for cytotoxic drugs synthesis and development in order to highlight the gaps in our knowledge and explore future research needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review covers the literature available from 1877 to 2012. The information was collected via electronic search using Chinese papers and the major scientific databases including PubMed, Sciencedirect, Web of Science and Google Scholar using the keywords. All abstracts and full-text articles reporting database on the history and current status of DPT were gathered and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plants containing DPT have played an important role in traditional medicine. In light of the in vitro pharmacological investigations, DPT is a high valuable medicinal agent that has anti-tumor, anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Further, DPT is an important precursor for the cytotoxic aryltetralin lignan, podophyllotoxin, which is used to obtain semisynthetic derivatives like etoposide and teniposide used in cancer therapy. However, most studies have focused on the in vitro data. Therefore, DPT has not been used clinically yet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DPT has emerged as a potent chemical agent from herbal medicine. Therefore, in vivo studies are needed to carry out clinical trials in humans and enable the development of new anti-cancer agents. In addition, DPT from commercial sources seems to be unavailable due to its rarity from natural sources and cumbersome extraction procedures. Hence, it is important to establish alternative, cost-effective and renewable resources, such plant cell cultures and (semi-) synthesis strategies for the production of DPT.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Center of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China. mayada_pharm@hotmail.fr
authors.forename: Meyada
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaled
authors.forename: Zhen-Zhou
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lu-Yong
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002681:China; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C014451:deoxypodophyllotoxin; D011034:Podophyllotoxin
keywords: Antitumor; Deoxypodophyllotoxin; Microtubule; Podophyllotoxin; Precursor; Therapeutic