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Molecules
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Advances in Anticancer Activity of Natural Products and Related Compounds
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Advances in Anticancer Activity of Natural Products and Related Compounds

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2320

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alexandra Mioc

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacology—Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2 Eftimie Murgu, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: natural products; molecular mechanisms of action; structure-activity relationships; delivery systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The exploration of natural products and their derivatives has long served as a foundation in the discovery of novel anticancer agents. Nature offers a vast chemical diversity, providing compounds with unique structures and potent bioactivities. This Special Issue, entitled “Advances in Anticancer Activity of Natural Products and Related Compounds”, seeks to highlight the recent advances in the identification, characterization, and application of natural compounds in cancer research. We welcome the submission of original research articles and reviews that bring about novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of action, structure–activity relationships, and innovative delivery systems of these bioactive agents. Studies on the synergistic effects of natural products with conventional therapies, as well as investigations into overcoming drug resistance, are also encouraged. This Special Issue aims to inspire interdisciplinary collaborations and foster the development of natural product-based cancer therapeutics that will ultimately contribute to improvements in patient outcomes.

Dr. Alexandra Mioc
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural compounds
  • anticancer activity
  • bioactive compounds
  • cancer therapeutics
  • drug resistance
  • synergistic effect

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 6142 KB  
Article
Cancer Chemopreventive Potential of Claoxylon longifolium Grown in Southern Thailand: A Bioassay-Guided Isolation of Vicenin 1 as the Active Compound and In Silico Studies on Related C-Glycosyl Flavones
by Chuanchom Khuniad, Lutfun Nahar, Anupam D. Talukdar, Rajat Nath, Kenneth J. Ritchie and Satyajit D. Sarker
Molecules 2025, 30(15), 3173; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153173 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 958
Abstract
Claoxylon longifolium (Euphorbiaceae) is an indigenous vegetable that has been used in southern Thai traditional medicine and cuisine. A bioassay-guided approach was adopted to investigate the phytochemicals and chemopreventive potential of C. longifolium leaves and stems. Phytochemical investigation of the active MeOH fractions [...] Read more.
Claoxylon longifolium (Euphorbiaceae) is an indigenous vegetable that has been used in southern Thai traditional medicine and cuisine. A bioassay-guided approach was adopted to investigate the phytochemicals and chemopreventive potential of C. longifolium leaves and stems. Phytochemical investigation of the active MeOH fractions afforded six known compounds, including caffeic acid (1), isovitexin (2), and vicenins 1–3 (3–5) from leaves and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (6) from stems. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic means. Ten constituents were tentatively identified from the oily fractions of stems by GC-MS. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of compounds 1–6 were identified using the MTT cell viability assay. The ability of compounds 1–6 at non-cytotoxic concentrations to induce Nrf2 activation, correlating to their potential chemopreventive properties, was determined using a luciferase reporter assay in the AREc32 cell line. Only vicenin 1 (3) was considered to be a potent chemopreventive compound, as it increased luciferase activity by 2.3-fold. In silico studies on compounds 2–5 and vitexin (16) revealed the potential of these compounds as cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agents. This study provides the first report on the chemopreventive properties of C. longifolium. All identified and isolated compounds are reported here for the first time from this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Anticancer Activity of Natural Products and Related Compounds)
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Review

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32 pages, 2453 KB  
Review
Natural Products Targeting BCR-ABL: A Plant-Based Approach to Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treatment
by Louisa Pechlivani, Alexandros Giannakis, Chrissa Sioka, Georgios A. Alexiou and Athanassios P. Kyritsis
Molecules 2025, 30(21), 4160; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30214160 - 22 Oct 2025
Viewed by 936
Abstract
The BCR-ABL fusion oncoprotein, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). While tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have transformed CML treatment, issues such as drug resistance, particularly involving mutations like T315I, and adverse effects [...] Read more.
The BCR-ABL fusion oncoprotein, a constitutively active tyrosine kinase, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). While tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have transformed CML treatment, issues such as drug resistance, particularly involving mutations like T315I, and adverse effects underscore the need for alternative or complementary therapeutic strategies. Natural products derived from plants have long served as a reservoir for anticancer agents, offering structural diversity and multi-targeted bioactivity. Notably, many plant-based compounds exhibit anticancer effects with comparatively lower toxicity and fewer side effects than synthetic TKIs, making them attractive candidates for safer long-term use. This review explores the recent advances in plant-based natural compounds that directly or indirectly inhibit BCR-ABL kinase activity and its downstream signaling pathways. Key compounds are discussed with respect to their mechanisms of action, structure–activity relationships, and potential to overcome TKI resistance. Several of these compounds directly target BCR-ABL or promote its degradation, while others inhibit downstream effectors such as STAT5 and PI3K/Akt, leading to apoptosis and growth inhibition of leukemic cells. The synergistic potential of these natural products with existing TKIs and their promise to target drug-resistant CML cells further highlight their translational value. By integrating insights from molecular pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and leukemia biology, this review supports the continued investigation of plant-derived agents as novel or adjunctive therapies against BCR-ABL-driven leukemias. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Anticancer Activity of Natural Products and Related Compounds)
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