Title:Flavonoids from Marine-Derived Actinobacteria as Anticancer Drugs
Volume: 27
Issue: 4
Author(s): Wael N. Hozzein*, Mohamed Mohany, Sana M.M. Alhawsawi, Mohamed Y. Zaky, Salim S. Al-Rejaie and Dalal H.M. Alkhalifah
Affiliation:
- Bioproducts Research Chair, Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh,Saudi Arabia
Keywords:
Flavonoids, marine actinobacteria, biological activities, anticancer drugs, polyphenols, bioactive compounds, secondary
metabolites.
Abstract: Flavonoids represent a large diverse group of natural products that are used as a traditional medicine
against various infectious diseases. They possess many biological activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-diabetic activities. Commercially, flavonoids are mainly obtained from
plants, however, several challenges are faced during their extraction. Microorganisms have been known as natural
sources of a wide range of bioactive compounds including flavonoids. Actinobacteria are the most prolific group
of microorganisms for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites, thus facilitating the production of flavonoids.
The screening programs for bioactive compounds revealed the potential application of actinobacteria to
produce flavonoids with interesting biological activities, especially anticancer activities. Since marine actinobacteria
are recognized as a potential source of novel anticancer agents, they are highly expected to be potential
producers of anticancer flavonoids with unusual structures and properties. In this review, we highlight the production
of flavonoids by actinobacteria through classical fermentation, engineering of plant biosynthetic genes in a
recombinant actinobacterium and the de novo biosynthesis approach. Through these approaches, we can control
and improve the production of interesting flavonoids or their derivatives for the treatment of cancer.