Table 1.

Anticancer compounds employed in clinical treatment of cancer [41,42,43,44].

Compounds	Source-Extraction	Mechanism Action	Clinical Development	Commercial Name
Vinca alkaloids	Catharanthus roseu (Leaves) Isolated by semi-synthetic routes	Inhibit the tubulin polymerization of tumor cells and also cause mitotic spindle destruction	In clinical use; combination trials	Vinorelbine, Vincristine, Vinblastine, Vindesine, Vinflunine, Vincamine, Vintafolide
Paclitaxel, docetaxel	Taxus spp. (Bark) Synthesis, semi-synthesis, and plant cell culture	Stabilization of microtubules and inhibition of depolymerization into tubulin, which stops the cell cycle in the G2/M phase leading to cell death	In clinical use; Phase I-III clinical trials; early treatment settings; non-small lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Kaposi sarcoma. Research and development in alternative drug administration using nanoparticles, naocochealtes and nanoliposomes.	Taxol®, Taxotere®, Abraxane®, Jevtana®, Taxoprexin®, Xytotax®
Camptotecin, irinotecan	Camptotheca acuminata (leaves) Water extraction	Binding to the TOP1 cleavage complex, leading to an accumulation of DNA strand breaks upon replication, causing apoptosis during the S phase of the cell cycle	Ovarian, lung, colorectal and pediatric cancer	Topotecan, irinotecan, belotecan
Podophyllotoxin and analogues	Podophyllum spp. (rhizome, roots) Alcohol extraction	Blockage of cell division metaphase of mitosis	Lymphomas and testicular cancer trials	No rentable
Roscovitine	Raphanus sativus (Radish) Chloroform extraction	Inhibition of cyclin dependent kinases; reduction of cell cycle progression	Phase II clinical trials in Europe	Roscovitine, seliciclib