Understanding cancer and the anticancer activities of naphthoquinones – a review

Abstract

The non-communicable disease, cancer, is one of the major causes of death across the world and is forecast to increase by 75% to reach close to 25 million cases over the next two decades. Radiotherapy and surgical approaches have been unsuccessful in controlling the incidence of most cancers. The development of chemotherapeutic strategies involving novel small molecule antitumour agents has therefore been the focus area of cancer chemotherapy for several decades as another strategy to combat and control the incidence of cancer. Many natural products as well as several synthetic drugs have a naphthoquinone chromophore. The anticancer activities of naphthoquinones have been the focus of much research to discover novel anticancer agents. The naturally occurring 1,2-naphthoquinone-based compound, ß-Lapachone (ARQ 761), is currently being assessed for its anti-tumour activity against advanced solid tumours. This review describes the most recent applications of naphthoquinones and their derivatives in cancer drug discovery. The biology relevant to the design of novel naphthoquinone anticancer agents is also discussed. Furthermore, the discussion of the biology will contribute to understanding cancer as well as the applications of naphthoquinones as anticancer agents.

Studies on Cytotoxic Activity against HepG-2 Cells of Naphthoquinones from Green Walnut Husks of Juglans mandshurica Maxim

“…Their derivatives have exhibited a variety of biological responses which include antiallergic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antiplatelet, antiviral, apoptosis, lipoxygenase, radical scavenging, and anti-ringworm activities. Many studies have shown that naphthoquinones have biological activities specifically against pathogenic protozoa and cancer cells owing to their privileged structures in medicinal chemistry [17]. In this study, we obtained a series of naphthoquinone aglycones and glucosides, and then presented the isolation and structural elucidation of four new naphthalenyl glucosides (compounds 18, 25-27), together with 23 known compounds from green walnut husks of J. mandshurica Maxim.…”

Tautomerism in o-hydroxyanilino-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives: Structure, NMR, HPLC and density functional theoretic investigations

“…Hydroxynaphthoquinones are pharmacologically important molecules they possess several biological activities which includes, anticancer [5] and antibiotic [6] etc. Hydroxynaphthoquinones exist in tautomeric equillibria in solutions contrary to only one stable tautomeric form in solid [7].…”

The Influence of Brazilian Biodiversity on Searching for Human Use Pharmaceuticals

“…80,81 An important variation, the water-soluble prodrug ARQ 761 which does not have a structure published to date, currently has two ongoing Phase I clinical trials that are recruiting for patients with solid cancers in one trial, and in conjunction with gemcitabine, directed against pancreatic cancer in the other. ARQ 761 is listed as being β-lapachone in a recent review by Wellington 82 where he is discussing the anticancer activities of naphthoquinones. However, Arqule reports that it is a prodrug of β-lapachone.…”