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REVIEW
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Empowering of novel anti-tumor formulations with quinone-based active natural products

Xiao Xiao1,2 ,  Baozhong Duan2 ,  Yuan Zhuang1,3* ,  Lei Zhang1,2,3*
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1 Innovative Drug Research Center, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
2 Chinese Medicine Resource Center, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, School of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
BMT, 00089 https://doi.org/10.12336/bmt.24.00089
Submitted: 31 December 2024 | Revised: 12 March 2025 | Accepted: 24 March 2025 | Published: 8 May 2025
Copyright © 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–ShareAlike 4.0 License.
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Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, representing a significant threat to human health. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop effective treatment strategies with low toxicity. Quinone-based natural products have garnered considerable attention in the field of anticancer research due to their distinctive chemical structures. These compounds play a crucial role in treating various cancers and in overcoming chemotherapy resistance through several mechanisms, including the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, as well as the modulation of multiple signaling pathways. However, their clinical application is limited by severe side effects, which arise from certain physicochemical properties, such as poor water solubility and low biocompatibility. The advent of nanotechnology has led to the development of nanomedicine delivery systems, offering a groundbreaking approach to overcome these limitations. Nanocarriers, characterized by their excellent biocompatibility, favorable pharmacokinetics, and high drug-loading capacities, enhance the bioavailability and targeting of natural products while reducing adverse effects. Therefore, integrating quinone-based natural products with nanocarrier delivery systems has proven to be an effective anticancer strategy. This approach not only improves the absorption of drugs with poor bioavailability but also significantly reduces side effects. Various nanodelivery systems, including micelles, liposomes, inorganic nanoparticles, and biomimetic nanocarriers, are particularly effective in delivering quinone-based natural products due to their unique physical and chemical properties, thereby enhancing their solubility and stability. In addition, targeted modifications, intelligent controlled release, and combination therapy strategies have significantly improved their bioavailability and antitumor efficacy. This review systematically examines the antitumor potential of quinone-based natural products and provides a comprehensive overview of the current research and clinical application prospects of their nanodelivery systems in cancer treatment. It aims to summarize the current progress and clinical prospects of integrating these compounds with nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems in cancer treatment.

Keywords
Drug delivery
Nanotechnology
Natural products
Quinones
Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 82225047, 82170274), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFC3501703), the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (LZ24H280003), and Basic Medical Research Project of Naval Medical University (2023QN022).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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