Description
Cephalotaxine is a naturally occurring benzazepine alkaloid isolated from Cephalotaxus harringtonia.
Composition comprising cephalotaxine alkaloids is used as an antiangiogenic agent for the treatment of a host with an angiogenic disease or for prophylactic treatment of a host to inhibit the onset or progression of an angiogenic disease. Combined with an antiproliferative agent, cephalotaxine is also used for treatment of a host with cellular proliferative disease. Though cephalotaxine is inactive, its ester derivatives have shown antiviral, antitumor, and anticancer properties. Cephalatoxin esters (harringtonine, sioharringtonine, homoharringtonine) have shown significant activity against experimental P388 leukemia and against L-1210 leukemia in mice.
References
[1] R. G. Powell, D. Weisleder, C. R. Smith, Jr. (1972) Antitumor alkaloids from Cephalotaxus harringtonia: Structure and activity, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 61, 1227-1230
[2] Patent WO 2004009030 A2: Angiogenesis inhibition by cephalotaxine alkaloids, derivatives, compositions and uses thereof
[3] Patent US 6734178 B2: Cephalotaxine alkaloid compositions and uses thereof
Uses
Antiviral and antitumor agent.
