Chemical composition and biological activities of genus Ochrosia: A mini review

Natural products have historically served as a rich source of potential remedies for cancer, a disease that is projected to become the leading cause of mortality. Ochrosia metabolites are potent cytotoxic drugs due to their ability to interact with nucleic acids. The scope of this review screens key features of the biological activities and phytochemical compositions of the genus Ochrosia. A comprehensive coverage of the literature has been conducted, revealing that alkaloids are the predominant metabolites, characterized by their noteworthy biological activities. Ochrosia plants also contain flavonoids, triterpenes, coumarins, resinol derivatives, and phenolic acids. Several pharmacological effects were reported, including cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiplasmodial, and antimicrobial activities. Investigation of the biological activities of ellipticines found potent anti-cancer properties, and several ellipticine derivatives have been the subject of clinical trials. Of particular interest, they have exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against various cell lines, including human breast carcinoma, leukemia cells, neuroblastoma cells, and glioblastoma cells. The ellipticine family of compounds exerts their biological activity via several modes of action, such as intercalation with DNA, topoisomerase II inhibition, interaction with the p53 transcription factor, kinase inhibition, bio-oxidation, and adduct formation. Overall, these studies highlight their diverse therapeutic potential in various types of cancer, indicating their promising role as antineoplastic agents.