Quassinoids: Anticancer and antimalarial activities

Abstract

Quassinoids were initially isolated as bitter principles of plants of the Simaroubaceae family. These natural products are formed by oxidative degradation of triterpene derivatives. Since the 1970s, these molecules have attracted attention because of their promising biological activities, especially in the context of research regarding active anticancer and antimalarial principles. In this chapter, the structural diversity of quassinoids and their botanical and geographical occurrence are described, combining a historical perspective from the literature references regarding these two major biological activities and focusing on the results obtained in vivo with the most promising compounds; in vitro studies are less relevant and have already been extensively reviewed in the literature. The biological activities with respect to the uses of the corresponding Simaroubaceae in traditional medicine are also analyzed.