Plant bioactive compounds are extremely important in the context of treating various types of cancer, which is why they are the focus of numerous preclinical and clinical studies while some compounds have already been approved by the FDA. They are directly involved in several cellular signaling pathways, thus inducing programmed cell death of cancer cells through various mechanisms. The thesis focuses on the importance, discovery, isolation, and use of curcumin, paclitaxel, camptothecin, homoharringtonine and rosmarinic acid, highlighting the different mechanisms of their antitumor activity. The targeted action of these plant bioactive compounds on microtubules, enzymes topoisomerase I, DNA methyltransferase, telomerase, and hexokinase II, interaction with CD44 receptors, disabled prolongation in protein synthesis due to binding at site A in the large ribosomal subunit, elevation of pro-apoptotic proteins and reduction of anti-apoptotic proteins etc., is emphasized and leads cells to apoptosis. To improve the pharmacokinetics, water solubility, stability in in vivo systems, bioavailability and absorption, many more studies are needed as well as to optimize numerous parameters in the field of cancer treatment with plant bioactive compounds. Currently they are very promising and provide a valuable, extensive and diverse source of mechanisms for tumorigenesis suppression as well as many possibilities to increase choices in the field of biologic drugs.
|
