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Review
. 2014 Dec 5;19(12):20391-423.
doi: 10.3390/molecules191220391.

Alkaloids from marine invertebrates as important leads for anticancer drugs discovery and development

Concetta Imperatore  1 , Anna Aiello  2 , Filomena D'Aniello  3 , Maria Senese  4 , Marialuisa Menna  5
Affiliations
Review

Alkaloids from marine invertebrates as important leads for anticancer drugs discovery and development

Concetta Imperatore et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

The present review describes research on novel natural antitumor alkaloids isolated from marine invertebrates. The structure, origin, and confirmed cytotoxic activity of more than 130 novel alkaloids belonging to several structural families (indoles, pyrroles, pyrazines, quinolines, and pyridoacridines), together with some of their synthetic analogs, are illustrated. Recent discoveries concerning the current state of the potential and/or development of some of them as new drugs, as well as the current knowledge regarding their modes of action, are also summarized. A special emphasis is given to the role of marine invertebrate alkaloids as an important source of leads for anticancer drug discovery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Structure of variolins.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Analogs of variolins.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Indole alkaloids (9–21).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Structure of meriolins (22–25).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bis indole alkaloids 26–34.
Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Synthesis of indolylthiazole compounds 35–44.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Selected cephalostatin structures.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Selected ritterazine structures.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Core structures of lamellarins.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Selected structures of lamellarins isolated from ascidians (61–82).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Selected structures of lamellarins isolated from ascidians (61–82).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Structures of ecteinascidins (83–101).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Structures of ET 743 synthetic analogs phtalascidin (PT 650, 102) and lurbinectedin (PM 01183, 103).
Figure 12
Figure 12
General structure of pyridoacridines.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Structures of cystodytins A–K (104–114).
Figure 14
Figure 14
Structures of pyridoacridine alkaloids (115–119).
Figure 15
Figure 15
Structures of compounds 120–124.
Figure 16
Figure 16
Pentacyclic pyridoacridine alkaloids 125–132.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Structures of compounds 133–136.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Structures of compounds 137–139.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Principal mechanisms of action evidenced for antitumor marine alkaloids.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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