Topic: Natural Products and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem, with more than 500,000 cases diagnosed annually. Natural products (NPs) are chemical compounds or substances produced by a living organism found in nature. Some NPs have beneficial effects while others have toxic effects. Several mycotoxins are classified as hepatocarcinogenic. The most important mycotoxin is aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) which is a mutagenic natural compound contaminating many food sources, especially in some parts of Africa and Asia and is recognized as one of the most potent hepatocarcinogens in humans. Recent research pointed out an increasing interest concerning the health benefits of a diet rich in NPs. The use of herbal medicines can be traced back to several thousand years ago in ancient China, ancient Egyptian and Romans. Generally, NPs have played a key role in drug discovery and are still a prolific source of novel lead compounds or pharmacophores for medicinal chemistry. Although HCC is always hard to treat, this Special Issue aims to gather updated progress in this important area and shed the light on the possibility to introduce a new drug based on the benefit of NPs.

31 Mar 2016