Natural Products and Apoptosis: a Promising Approach for Drug Discovery

• Main Author: Costa, S. S.
• Publication Date: 2006
• Other Authors: Muzitano, M. F.
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Revista Fitos
• Download full: https://revistafitos.far.fiocruz.br/index.php/revista-fitos/article/view/52
• topic: apoptosis; medicinal plants; natural products; bioactive molecules; caspases; Bcl-2; apoptose; plantas medicinais; produtos naturais; moléculas bioativas; caspases; Bcl-2

The programmed cell death, also called apoptosis, is part of several vital processes, as the embryonic development, the control of tumors and the regulation of populations of cells of the immune system. Disturbs of its regulation are involved with a variety of illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's, autoimmune diseases and Parkinson's disease. Today we have access to several studies showing in a deep way the direct effect of molecules on therapeutic targets in apoptotic mechanisms that could be used in the treatment of some incurable illnesses. The most promising results in this area concern, for example, substances obtained from garlic (Allium sativum), terpenes from Caseria membranaceae and Zingiber mioga and derivatives of gambogic acid, isolated from Garcinia hurburyi. Many efforts have been made to apply apoptosis inducer drugs in cancer therapy, but few studies have been correlated to other illnesses. The aim of this review is to show the potential of natural molecules to the treatment of cancer and those other pathologies, based on the most studied apoptosis therapeutic targets.