Annonaceous acetogenins: Recent progress

The Annonaceous acetogenins are promising new antitumor and pesticidal agen ts that are found only in the plant family Annonaceae. Chemically, they are derivatives of long-chain fatty acids. Biologically, they exhibit their po tent bioactivities through depletion of ATP levels via inhibiting complex I of mitochondria and inhibiting the NADH oxidase of plasma membranes of tum or cells. Thus, they thwart ATP-driven resistance mechanisms. This review p resents the progress made in the chemistry, biology, and development of the se compounds since December 1995.