Plants that Fight Cancer

312pp  ISBN 0415298539      £85.00

• Provides a modern review of plant species and genera with anticancer properties
• Discusses conventional, advanced, and alternative treatments
• Presents extensive, detailed information on more than 150 terrestrial plant genera and species
• Includes numerous photographs, illustrations, and tables
• Features extensive references and chemical structure and species indices

About the Editors

Spiridon E. Kintzios is Assistant Professor for Cell & Tissue Culture at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, and co-founder of BERABiosensors Corp., New York. His research focuses on medicinal secondary metabolites from plant cell cultures, with emphasis on anti-aging and anticancer agents and the application of electrophysiology and biosensors for diagnostic purposes.Maria G. Barberaki graduated from the Faculty of Agricultural Biotechnology at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. She has worked on the production of secondary products with medicinal use from Viscum album using biotechnological methods. Dr. Barberaki is currently employed at a pharmaceutical company in Athens, Greece.

An increasing amount of cancer research is being directed towards the investigation of plant-derived anticancer compounds, many of which have been used in traditional herbal treatments for centuries. Plants that Fight Cancer is an up-to-date, extensive review of plant genera and species with documented anti-tumor and anti-leukaemic properties. Following an overview of the disease and the diverse methods of therapy and clinical testing, the book provides a detailed examination of the plants whose compounds are currently used in conventional cancer treatment, the species which show the greatest potential as future candidates, and other species with established anticancer properties. The third section explores each of more than 150 terrestrial plant genera and species, with a review of their traditional uses, mythology, botany, active ingredients, and product applications, along with photographs and illustrations and an analysis of expected results and risks.

Contents

PART I: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CANCER AND ITS THERAPY?
Incidence and Causes
Classification of Cancer Types
Therapy
Conventional Cancer Treatments
Advanced Cancer Treatments
Other Advanced Therapies
Alternative Cancer Treatments
From Source to Patient: Testing the Efficiency of a Candidate Anticancer Drug
Preclinical Tests
Phases of Clinical Trials
Clinical Trial Protocols

PART II: PLANTS AND CANCER
Brief Overview of the General Organization of the Plant Cell
The Chemical Constituents of the Plant Cell
Primary Metabolites
Secondary Metabolites
Why Do Plant Compounds Have an Anticancer Activity?
Chemical Groups of Natural Products with Anticancer Properties
Alkaloids
Polysaccharides
Glycosides
Lipids (Saponifiable)
Flavonoids
Proteins
Annonaceous Acetogenins
Terpenoids
Nucleic Acids
Lignans
Phenols and Derivatives
Aldehydes
Unsaponifiable Lipids
Unidentified Compounds
Biotechnology and the Supply Issue

PART III: TERRESTRIAL PLANT SPECIES WITH ANTICANCER ACTIVITY: A PRESENTATION
Introduction: General Botanical Issues
Species-specific Information
The Guardian Angels: Plant Species Used in Contemporary Clinical Cancer Treatment
Promising Candidates for the Future: Plant Species with a Laboratory-Proven Potential
The Fable: Where Tradition Fails to Meet Reality
Other Species with Documented Anticancer Activities

PART IV: CYTOTOXIC METABOLITES FROM MARINE ALGAE
Introduction
Cytotoxic Metabolites from Chlorophyta
Cytotoxic Metabolites from Rhodophyta
Cytotoxic Metabolites from Phaeophyta
Cytotoxic Metabolites from Microalgae
Conclusions
References

APPENDIX: CHEMICAL STRUCTURES OF SELECTED COMPOUNDS
References
Chemical Index
Species Index