Mycotoxin- A Target for Anticancer Drug Development

The aim of this present article is to underscore the recent evidence linking anticancer activity and free radical scavenging activity of mycotoxins and its significance in the development of newer anticancer drugs. Although acute exposure to a massive amount of mycotoxin is rare but long-term exposure/consumption of food with low levels of lipophilic mycotoxin remains problematic. The aneuploidogenic and clastogenic potentials of the mycotoxins citrinin and patulin were studied in human cells is especially relevant for calculating the risk of carcinogenicity. The literature reviewed suggests that mycotoxins not all mycotoxins are toxic and some mycotoxins or mycotoxin derivatives have found use as anticancer drugs. The development of cancer in humans is a complex process including cellular and molecular changes mediated by diverse endogenous and exogenous stimuli and oxidative DNA damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), the key mediators of cellular oxidative stress and redox dysregulation involved in cancer initiation and progression, have recently emerged as promising targets for anticancer drug discovery. Some of the mycotoxins are also effective against multidrug resistant cancer. The present review enlightens the development of potential anticancer agent from mycotoxins.