Induction of Quinone Reductase as a Primary Screen for Natural Product Anticarcinogens

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses induction of quinone reductase as a primary screen for natural product anticarcinogens. NAD(P)H:quinone reductase (NQO1), one of the phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes, plays an important role in the mechanism of cancer chemoprevention, presumably at the initiation stage of carcinogenesis. Because induction of quinone reductase can be detected readily by using murine hepatoma Hepa 1c1c7 cells, this cell line has been used for the discovery of novel natural product anticarcinogens. A large number of natural product quinone reductase inducers are known. This chapter describes phytochemical inducers that include flavonoids, steroids, isothiocyanates, and dithiolethiones. Details of using the quinone reductase induction assay as a monitor for drug discovery, as well as a strategy for the discovery of active compounds from plant sources are provided in the chapter. Role of phase II enzymes in cancer and quinone reductase induction and cancer chemoprevention are also described in the chapter. The chapter presents an overview of in vitro quinone reductase assay. The chapter elaborates screening of medicinal plants and describes quinone reductase inducers present in edible plants.