Current Protein and Peptide Science - Volume 19, Issue 3, 2018

Cancer, characterized by uncontrolled growth and proliferation of cells, is affecting millions of people every year and estimated as the second leading cause of death. Its successful treatment yet remains a challenge due to the lack of selectivity, toxicity and the development of multidrug resistant cells to the currently available drugs. Plant derived natural products hold great promise for discovery and development of new Read More

Since ancient times, natural products have been used in treating various diseases effectively and safely. Nowadays, these natural compounds are submitted to sophisticated methodologies from isolation, computing, analytical, and even serving as pharmacophore suggestions for synthesis. The substances extracted from marine species, plants, and microorganisms present activities beneficial to our health, including protection a Read More

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide and anticancer drug discovery is a very hot area of research at present. There are various factors which control and affect cancer, out of which enzymes like cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) play a vital role in the growth of tumor cells. Inhibition of this enzyme is a very useful target for the prevention of various types of cancers. Alkaloids are a diverse group of naturally occurring compo Read More

Isosteroidal alkaloids are a category of promising bioactive compounds which mostly exist in plants of genus Veratrum and Fritillaria. The pharmacological activities of isosteroidal alkaloids include antihypertensive, antitussive, anti-inflammatory, antithrombosis, among others. Recently, some studies show that this kind of alkaloids exhibited significant antitumor activity. To the best of our knowledge, there is no review foc Read More

It is an acknowledged fact that health benefits are derived from fruit- and vegetables-enriched diets. In particular, polyphenols, compounds bearing one or more hydroxyl groups attached to an aromatic ring, are ascribed for most of such beneficial effects. Among them, resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in numerous plant species, and more notably in grapes, has widely piqued the interest of the scientific community by virtue of its Read More

Phytoestrogens derived from plants exert estrogenic as well as antiestrogenic effects and multiple actions within breast cancer cells. Chemopreventive properties of phytoestrogens have emerged from epidemiological observations. In recent clinical research studies, phytoestrogens are safe and may even protect against breast cancer. In this brief review, the molecular mechanisms of phytoestrogens Read More

Acetylation and deactylation of histones are important determinants of gene expression. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) remove acetyl groups from histones leading to suppression and regulation of epigenetic gene expression. Current studies have demonstrated that HDAC-inhibitors (HDACIs) inducing histone hyperacetylation are promising novel agents in cancer treatment. HDACIs have been shown to have significant antican Read More