Lignans: a versatile source of anticancer drugs

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer is a leading global cause of death.
• Plants provide diverse secondary metabolites with biological applications.
• Lignans, derived from phenylpropanoid units, exhibit notable anticancer activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review isolated anticancer lignans and their mechanisms of action.
• To compile information on lignan sources, active plant parts, and extracts.
• To summarize studies investigating lignan efficacy across various cell lines.

Main Methods:

• Bibliographic investigation of scientific databases (Web of Science, SciFinder, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar).
• Analysis of 113 naturally isolated lignans with reported anticancer activity.
• Review of studies primarily conducted on human cell lines.

Main Results:

• Identification of 113 natural lignans with anticancer properties.
• Documentation of plant sources, active parts, and extracts for these lignans.
• Predominance of in vitro studies on human cell lines, with limited in vivo evaluations.

Conclusions:

• Lignans hold promise as effective anticancer drugs.
• Future research should focus on modifying natural lignans and synthesizing novel analogs.
• Further in vivo and mechanistic studies are crucial for developing lignan-based cancer therapies.