This book discusses cancers and the resurgence of public interest in plant-based and herbal drugs. It also describes ways of obtaining anti-cancer drugs from plants and improving their production using biotechnological techniques. It presents methods such as cell culture, shoot and root culture, hairy root culture, purification of plant raw materials, genetic engineering, optimization of culture conditions as well as metabolic engineering with examples of successes like taxol, shikonin, ingenol mebutate and podophylotoxin. In addition, it describes the applications and limitations of large-scale production of anti-cancer compounds using biotechnological means. Lastly, it discusses future economical and eco-friendly strategies for obtaining anti-cancer compounds using biotechnology.

This volume provides summarized scientific evidence of the different classes of plant-derived phytocompounds, their sources, chemical structures, anticancer properties, mechanisms of action, methods of extraction, and their applications in cancer therapy. It also discusses endophyte-derived compounds as chemopreventives to treat various cancer types. In addition, it provides detailed information on the enhanced production of therapeutically valuable anticancer metabolites using biotechnological interventions such as plant cell and tissue culture approaches, including in vitro-, hairy root- and cell-suspension culture; and metabolic engineering of biosynthetic pathways. Anticancer Plants: Natural Products and Biotechnological Implements – Volume 2” explores the natural bioactive compounds isolated from plants as well as fungal endophytes, their chemistry, and preventive effects to reduce the risk of cancer. Moreover, it highlights the genomics/proteomics approaches and biotechnological implementations. Providing solutions to deal with the challenges involved in cancer therapy, the book benefits a wide range of readers including academics, students, and industrial experts working in the area of natural products, medicinal plant chemistry, pharmacology, and biotechnology.

Paclitaxel: Sources, Chemistry, Anticancer Actions, and Current Biotechnology provides a comprehensive survey of Paclitaxel and its derivatives chemistry, biosynthesis and anticancer activities. In addition, biotechnological methods, including cell cultures, the use of bioreactors and metabolic engineering strategies to improve Paclitaxel production are also discussed. The book discusses topics such as mechanisms of action against cancer, novel forms of Paclitaxel for an effective cancer treatment, strategies for enhancing its bioavailability, and the application of nanocarriers for its delivery and chemotherapy of cancer. This is a valuable resource for cancer researchers, biotechnologists and members of biomedical field who are interested in the promising anticancer qualities of this antineoplastic drug and how to enhance them for better treatments. - Presents detailed information about Paclitaxel research, from its discovery to clinical uses and biotechnological routes of commercial production - Focuses on Paclitaxel development as an effective chemotherapeutic drug, along with its application in different types of cancers - Encompasses descriptive illustrations and workflows to help the reader fully understand the content and easily apply it to their research

Cancer is one of the leading death cause of human population increasingly seen in recent times. Plants have been used for medicinal purposes since immemorial times. Though, several synthetic medicines are useful in treating cancer, they are inefficient and unsafe. However, plants have proved to be useful in cancer cure. Moreover, natural compounds from plants and their derivatives are safe and effective in treatment and management of several cancer types. The anticancer plants such as Catharanthus roseus, Podophyllum peltatum, Taxus brevifolia, Camptotheca acuminate, Andrographis paniculata, Crateva nurvala, Croton tonkinensis, Oplopanax horridus etc., are important source of chemotherapeutic compounds. These plants have proven their significance in the treatment of cancer and various other infectious diseases. Nowadays, several well-known anticancer compounds such as taxol, podophyllotoxins, camptothecin, vinblastine, vincristine, homoharringtonine etc. have been isolated and purified from these medicinal plants. Many of them are used effectively to combat cancer and other related diseases. The herbal medicine and their products are the most suitable and safe to be used as an alternative medicine. Based on their traditional uses and experimental evidences, the anticancer products or compounds are isolated or extracted from the medicinally important plants. Many of these anticancer plants have become endangered due to ruthless harvesting in nature. Hence, there is a need to conserve these species and to propagate them in large scale using plant tissue culture. Alternatively, plant cell tissue and organ culture biotechnology can be adopted to produce these anticancer compounds without cultivation. The proper knowledge and exploration of these isolated molecules or products could provide an alternative source to reduce cancer risk, anti-tumorigenic properties, and suppression of carcinogen activities. Anticancer plants: Volume 1, Properties and Application is a very timely effort in this direction. Discussing the various types of anticancer plants as a source of curative agent, their pharmacological and neutraceutical properties, cryo-preservations and recent trends to understand the basic cause and consequences involved in the diseases diagnosis. We acknowledge the publisher, Springer for their continuous inspiration and valuable suggestions to improvise the content of this book. We further extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our book contributors for their support, and assistance to complete this assignment. I am sure that these books will benefit the scientific communities including academics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and medical practitioners.

The latest volume in the Advanced Biotechnology series provides an overview of the main product classes and platform chemicals produced by biotechnological processes today, with applications in the food, healthcare and fine chemical industries. Alongside the production of drugs and flavors as well as amino acids, bio-based monomers and polymers and biofuels, basic insights are also given as to the biotechnological processes yielding such products and how large-scale production may be enabled and improved. Of interest to biotechnologists, bio and chemical engineers, as well as those working in the biotechnological, chemical, and food industries.

This book summarizes the application of plant derived anticancer compounds as chemopreventives to treat several cancer types, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of action of phytocompounds and providing an overview of the basic processes at the cellular and molecular level that are involved in the progression of the cancer and can be employed in targeted preventive therapies. In addition, it highlights the development of novel anticancer drugs from plant sources using bioinformatics approaches. The compiled chapter data aids readers understanding of issues related to bioavailability, toxic effects and mechanisms of action of phytocompounds, and helps them identify the leads and utilize them against various cancer types effectively. Furthermore, it promotes the use of bioinformatics tools in medicinal plants to expedite their use in plant breeding programs to develop molecular markers to distinguish disease subtypes and predicting mutation, which in turn improves cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and to develop new lead compounds computationally. The book provides scientific verifications of plant compounds mechanisms of action against various cancers and offers useful information for students, teachers, and healthcare professionals involved in drug discovery, and clinical and therapeutic research.

Biotechnological Production of Bioactive Compounds provides insights on the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, solutions and practical challenges encountered in the fields of enzyme technology and nanobiotechnology for the production of bioactive materials with extra health benefits. As nanobiotechnology has improved the bioactive extraction process significantly, many bioactives, including bioflavonoids, omega-3 fatty acids, biopigments and low calorie sugar substitutes are a pivotal part of the food industry. The book highlights the production of extra health benefits "bioactives'' from plants and microbes and explains how the extraction efficiency of bioactives molecules improves significantly with the recent advances in nanobiotechnology. Researchers in the fields of biochemical engineering, biotechnology, bioremediation, environmental sustainability and those in pharma industries will find the information in this book very helpful and illuminating. - Outlines technological advances in bioactives extraction - Covers bioflavonoids, biopigments, omega-3-fatty acids and low sugar substitutes - Explains the mechanisms of Green cargo (biogenic nanoparticles) for the delivery of bioactive molecules

This timely desk reference focuses on marine-derived bioactive substances which have biological, medical and industrial applications. The medicinal value of these marine natural products are assessed and discussed. Their function as a new and important resource in novel, anticancer drug discovery research is also presented in international contributions from several research groups. For example, the potential role of Spongistatin, Apratoxin A, Eribulin mesylate, phlorotannins, fucoidan, as anticancer agents is explained. The mechanism of action of bioactive compounds present in marine algae, bacteria, fungus, sponges, seaweeds and other marine animals and plants are illustrated via several mechanisms. In addition, this handbook lists various compounds that are active candidates in chemoprevention and their target actions. The handbook also places into context the demand for anticancer nutraceuticals and their use as potential anti-cancer pharmaceuticals and medicines. This study of advanced and future types of natural compounds from marine sources is written to facilitate the understanding of Biotechnology and its application to marine natural product drug discovery research.

Advances in anti-cancer chemotherapy over recent years have led to improved efficacy in curing or controlling many cancers. Some chemotherapy-related side-effects are well recognized and include: nausea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, peripheral neuropathy, cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and renal impairment. However, it is becoming clearer that some chemotherapy-related adverse effects may persist even in long term cancer survivors. Problems such as cognitive, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal dysfunction, and neuropathy may lead to substantial long term morbidity. Despite improvements in treatments to counteract acute chemotherapy-induced adverse effects, they are often incompletely effective. Furthermore, counter-measures for some acute side-effects and many potential longer term sequelae of anti-cancer chemotherapy have not been developed. Thus, new insights into prevalence and mechanisms of cancer chemotherapy-related side effects are needed and new approaches to improving tolerance and reduce sequelae of cancer chemotherapy are urgently needed. The present Research Topic focuses on adverse effects and sequelae of chemotherapy and strategies to counteract them.

Lignans are widely occurring plant compounds and are closely related to lignin, which forms the woody component of trees and other plants. The lignans are characterized by their dimeric composition from cinnamic acids, and they are attracting increasing attention as a result of their pharmacological properties. The volume surveys the chemical, biological and clinical properties of lignans as well as providing information on their isolation, purification, identification and chemical synthesis.