The redox mechanism of ferrocene and its phytochemical and biochemical compounds in anticancer therapy: A mini review

Abstract

Cancer is one of the most lethal diseases worldwide that endanger human health. The persistent risk of drug-resistant cancer and the low specificity of antitumor drugs are the biggest obstacles in controlling and eliminating cancer, creating a pressing need to design new cytotoxic agents. The development of cisplatin, with its progress in chemotherapy, established the framework for producing and developing metal-based drugs. A systematic drug design approach has been applied to the advancement of non-platinum chemotherapeutic agents, and a considerable number of such complexes have been developed since then. The primary interest in ferrocenyl complexes' anti-malignant activities was ascribed to the unusual activities observed for ferrocenium salts-ferrocenium trichloroacetate and ferrocenium picrate. Their efficiency was attributed to the redox homeostasis interruption in oncogenic cells, leading to cell apoptosis. The extraordinary structural and mechanistic heterogeneity, low toxicity, intrinsic stability towards heat, light, air, economical cost, catalytic and reversible redox properties make ferrocene hybrids ideal candidates for chemotherapeutics. Despite such properties, only ferrocifen has advanced in preclinical cancer trials. This review aims to provide distinct insights into potential anticancer research to establish novel drug candidates by incorporating ferrocenyl groups into biochemical and phytochemical compounds. Furthermore, this review aids in a better understanding of the ferrocenyl complexes' redox mechanism.