Advance in anti-cancer lead-compounds derived from natural products

Cancer is a serious threat to human life and health. Therefore, there is an emergent need to develop novel anti-cancer agents with new structural type, new mechanism of action and higher efficacy. Natural products had played a key role in the discovery of anticancer agents. The anti-cancer activity, mechanism of action, structure and activity relationship of several lead-compounds which were derived from natural products were summarized in this review.