Podophyllotoxin

Abstract

Podophyllotoxin is isolated from Podophyllum. Podophyllotoxin has significant antitumor and antiviral activities. However, Podophyllum showed several toxicity and side effects. Podophyllotoxin derivatives, etoposide, Etopophos, amino sugar etoposide, and teniposide, have been developed as anticancer drugs. But these podophyllotoxin derivatives are not free of toxicity. Despite toxicity and side effects associated with the clinical use of podophyllotoxin and its derivatives, podophyllotoxin is still a good candidate for the design and synthesis of analogs with more potent activity and less side effects.