Preface

**Section 3 Anticancer Compounds from Cannabinoids and**

Chapter 6 **Phytochemical Aspects and Therapeutic Perspective of Cannabinoids in Cancer Treatment 111**

Chapter 7 **Endophytic Fungi as Alternative and Reliable Sources for**

**Section 4 Phytotherapy and Modern Formulations for Treatment of**

and Jackson Roberto Guedes da Silva Almeida

Chapter 9 **An Update On Natural Compounds and Their Modern Formulations for the Management of Malignant**

**Section 5 Computational and Bitochenology Advancement of**

Chapter 11 **Towards Metabolic Engineering of Podophyllotoxin**

Chapter 10 **Computational Studies and Biosynthesis of Natural Products with Promising Anticancer Properties 257**

Wolfgang Sippl, Stefan Günther and Fidele Ntie‐Kang

Christel L. C. Seegers, Rita Setroikromo and Wim J. Quax

**Phytotherapy in Cancer 255**

Chapter 8 **Flavonoids: Promising Natural Products for Treatment of Skin**

**Potent Anticancer Agents 141**

Sanda Vladimir‐Knežević, Biljana Blažeković, Maja Bival Štefan and

Edwin O. Omeje, Joy E. Ahomafor, Theophilus U. Onyekaba, Philip O. Monioro, Ibekwe Nneka, Sunday Onyeloni, Charles Chime and

Raimundo Gonçalves de Oliveira Júnior, Christiane Adrielly Alves Ferraz, Mariana Gama e Silva, Érica Martins de Lavor, Larissa Araújo Rolim, Julianeli Tolentino de Lima, Audrey Fleury, Laurent Picot, Jullyana de Souza Siqueira Quintans, Lucindo José Quintans Júnior

Danciu Corina, Soica Codruta, Antal Diana, Alexandra Popescu, Roxana Ghiulai, Ioana Zinuca Pavel, Stefana Avram, Minda Daliana

Aurélien F.A. Moumbock, Conrad V. Simoben, Ludger Wessjohann,

**Endophytic Fungi 109**

Marija Kindl

**VI** Contents

Jonathan C. Eboka

**Skin Cancer 159**

**Melanoma 211**

**Production 287**

and Cristina Dehelean

**Cancer (Melanoma) 161**

"We have met the enemy, and he is us," a quote from the comic strip "Pogo" by Walt Kelly, summarizes the primary difficulty of treating cancer using chemotherapeutics, since cancer and normal cells are remarkably similar. Although cancer cells harbor mutated genes and resultant mutated proteins that affect cell division and/or contribute to oncogenesis, the tu‐ mor and normal cells share the same DNA and major metabolic pathways. Thus, currently used chemotherapeutic compounds that attack DNA replication or cell division in a cancer cell can also attack a normal dividing cell, resulting in serious side effects.

Linking scientific advances with clinical practice is one among many objectives in writing this book, so management of cancer must be based on sound evidence-based research. Therefore, this book is a book that everybody involved in the area of drug discovery, phyto‐ chemistry, cancer biology, and cancer patients must have and benefit from its contents.

This book, *Natural Products and Cancer Drug Discovery*, is written by leading experts in vari‐ ous fields relevant to the development and use of natural products in cancer therapy with up-to-date research in the prevention and treatment of cancer. **First section**, an extensive review on the use of Afro-Asian flora in combating cancer; **second section**, a contemporary survey on anticancer natural compounds from nutritional and herbal products; **third sec‐ tion**, a very interesting reviews of some of the most exciting areas for the development of new chemotherapeutics from *Cannabis* and endophytic fungi; **fourth section**, a special chap‐ ter on developing and formulating natural products for treatment of malignant melanoma; and, **fifth section**, a computational and tissue engineering approach to made-to-order new anticancer therapy from natural products are extensively discussed.

These various sections provide reviews of some of the most exciting areas for the develop‐ ment of new anticancer natural products. Hopefully, they may inspire the development of new compounds or approaches that will help reduce the suffering and toll from cancer.

It is our hope that this book may motivate readers to approach the evidence of anticancer natural products with an open mind and thereby spark an interest in making further contri‐ butions to the current scientific debate and cancer treatment efforts.

> **Farid A. Badria, PhD** Prof. of Pharmacognosy Head of Drug Discovery Research Unit, FAB-Liver Research Lab Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

**Afro-Asian Antiproliferative Medicinal Plants**
