Antineoplastic Alkaloids From Chinese Medicinal Plants and Their Analogs

The Chinese medicinal plant-derived antineoplastic alkaloids and their analogs are reviewed with emphasis on those discovered from the authors' laboratory. The active compounds include camptothecin, colchicine, ellipticine, harringtonine, Vinca alkaloids, indirubin, (-)-sophocarpine, lycobetaine, monocrotaline, d-tetrandrine, indicine N-oxide, maytansine, aporphine type alkaloids, palmatine, murrapanine, emarginatine alkaloids, and the alkaloids from Securinega virosa. The compounds are discussed briefly with the recent advances concerning their antitumor activity, structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of action.