Title:Current Perspective of Natural Alkaloid Carbazole and its Derivatives as Antitumor Agents
Volume: 15
Issue: 8
Author(s): Mahamadhanif S. Shaikh, Rajshekhar Karpoormath, Neeta Thapliyal, Rajesh A. Rane, Mahesh B. Palkar, A.M. Faya, Harun M. Patel, Wesam S. Alwan, Kavita Jain and Girish A. Hampannavar
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Anticancer agent, antitumor agent, carbazole alkaloids, review.
Abstract: Throughout our evolution, the importance of natural products for medicine and health has been
increasing and it continues to be a key source of novel anticancer drugs, leads and new chemical entities.
Among natural products, tricyclic heteroaromatic alkaloids such as carbazoles are an important class of natural
and semi-synthetic organic compounds. In the last few decades medicinal role of natural and semi-synthetic
carbazoles has expanded significantly, especially as a vital heterocyclic class of antitumor agents. Some of the
carbazoles that displayed potential anticancer activity have undergone clinical trials. However, complications
arising due to multidrug resistance in clinical trials led to very few of the selected carbazoles being approved for
cancer therapy. Planar, polycyclic and aromatic carbazoles exhibit anticancer activity via DNA intercalation.
Further many carbazoles can be cytotoxic by inhibiting DNA-dependent enzymes such as telomerase and
topoisomerase I/II.
