Antineoplastic potential of mycotoxins

Abstract

Fungal toxins are secondary metabolites, in which many of them were mycotoxins, affecting eukaryotic cells with a broad range of structural and functional variety contributing to the multitude of their classification. This refers to the harmful genotoxic (mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic) effects of mycotoxins on the one hand, and their cytocidic and antineoplastic properties on the other hand. This “double edged sword” effect could be utilized against the spread of tumors in older patients when the survival is much more important than the mutagenic side effects. To decide which fungal toxins could be used as combined cytotoxic and antimetastatic agents, mycotoxins were divided into three categories: (a) highly genotoxic (mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic), (b) adversely toxic, and (c) antitumorigenic agents. Highly cytotoxic mycotoxins with tolerable side effects, combined with an antineoplastic character, could be potential candidates against metastasis. From the structure–function relationship of antimetastatic mycotoxins, only general conclusions have been drawn. The presence of ring structures containing heteroatoms, functional groups, and the cumulative presence of oxygen atoms contributed to the oxidative stress and cytotoxicity of mycotoxins. The preselection of mycotoxins excluded category (a), and only the categories (b) and (c) were considered to be potential agents against the metastatic spread of abdominal tumors in rodent metastatic tumor experiments.