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Natural Bioactive Compounds Targeting Histone Deacetylases in Human Cancers: Recent Updates

Abdelhakim Bouyahya1, Naoufal El Hachlafi2, Tarik Aanniz3

  • 1Laboratory of Human Pathologies Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat 10106, Morocco.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Natural compounds from medicinal plants show promise as epi-drugs by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs). These compounds may offer a new strategy for preventing and treating various human cancers by reversing epigenetic changes.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer is a leading cause of global mortality, with epigenetic factors contributing to tumor development.
  • Epigenetic modifications, such as histone modifications, alter gene expression without changing the DNA sequence.
  • Reversible epigenetic changes necessitate therapeutic strategies targeting the enzymes involved, like histone deacetylases (HDACs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of natural compounds from medicinal plants as epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs).
  • To evaluate the pharmacodynamic action of these natural compounds against histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymatic activity.

Main Methods:

  • Extraction of natural compounds from medicinal plants.
  • Assay of enzymatic activity of histone deacetylases (HDACs).
  • Evaluation of inhibitory properties of extracted natural compounds on HDACs.

Main Results:

  • Several classes of natural compounds, including flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and alkaloids, demonstrated significant inhibitory effects against HDACs.
  • These compounds exhibit promising epi-drug properties.
  • The findings suggest potential therapeutic applications in cancer prevention and treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Natural compounds from medicinal plants possess significant HDAC inhibitory activity.
  • These natural molecules represent a promising source for developing novel epi-drugs against cancer.
  • Targeting HDACs with natural compounds could offer a viable strategy for cancer therapy.
Keywords:
cancerepidrugsepigenetichistone deacetylasesnatural compounds

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