Cancer will be the major cause of death in the 21st century and natural products should provide novel and more effective anticancer agents. This review deals with new natural molecules liable to become anticancer drugs, as well as recent specific strategies for a selective treatment of cancer. The introduction presents the current state of the art on anticancer research. Beside, in the following subheadings we summarize our research on cytotoxic natural quinone methide-triperpenes and their analogues. We also discuss our results on the anti-tumour promoting activity of natural naphthoquinones and their derivatives.

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Seven new triterpenoids (1-7) and 36 known compounds were isolated from the root bark of Maytenus retusa. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D spectroscopic studies. Several compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human tumor cell lines HL-60 and MCF-7. Some of them were cytotoxic, with IC(50) values ranging between 0.2 and 4.7 μM.

A set of friedelane triterpenoids has been isolated from the stem bark exudates of Maytenus macrocarpa. It includes a new friedelan triterpene (1), together with the known compounds friedelin, 3-oxo-29-hydroxyfriedelane, 3-oxofriedelan-25-al, and canophyllol. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical evidence. Complete 1H and 13C assignments were achieved by 2D NMR spectroscopy. The new compound showed weak activity against aldose reductase. It did not display antitumor activity against P-388 lymphoid neoplasm, A-549 human lung carcinoma, HT-29 human colon carcinoma, or MEL-28 human melanoma cell lines.

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