Antineoplastic Alkaloids From Chinese Medicinal Plants and Their Analogs

The Chinese medicinal plant‐derived antineoplastic alkaloids and their analogs are reviewed with emphasis on those discovered from the authors' laboratory. The active compounds include camptothecin, colchicine, ellipticine, harringtonine,Vincaalkaloids, indirubin, (‐)‐sophocarpine, lycobetaine, monocrotaline, d‐tetrandrine, indicineN‐oxide, maytansine, aporphine type alkaloids, palmatine, murrapanine, emarginatine alkaloids, and the alkaloids fromSecurinega virosa. The compounds are discussed briefly with the recent advances concerning their antitumor activity, structure‐activity relationships and mechanisms of action.