Biosynthesis of anticancer phytochemical compounds and their chemistry

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Cancer incidence is rising, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
• Plant-derived phytochemicals exhibit anticancer properties by targeting various cancer mechanisms.
• Clinical application of phytochemicals is hindered by toxicity, resistance, and poor absorption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review bioactive anticancer phytochemicals, their preclinical and clinical research, and synthetic analogs.
• To explore strategies for enhancing phytochemical production using biotechnology and metabolic engineering.
• To investigate ligand-target interactions using molecular docking.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of phytochemical anticancer compounds and their analogs.
• Exploration of biotechnological and metabolic engineering approaches for enhanced production.
• In silico molecular docking studies for ligand-target interaction analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified various plant-derived phytochemicals with preclinical anticancer activity.
• Highlighted challenges in clinical translation, including toxicity and resistance.
• Discussed potential of drug combinations, phytonanomedicine, and synthetic analogs.
• Explored biotechnological strategies for increased production of bioactive compounds.

Conclusions:

• Phytochemicals offer a promising avenue for cancer therapy, but require further development.
• Drug combinations and advanced production techniques are crucial for clinical success.
• Integration of modern biotechnology, metabolic engineering, and in silico tools can accelerate drug discovery and development.