Lapachol and its congeners as anticancer agents: a review

Lapachol is a naturally occurring 1,4-naphthoquinone originally isolated by the Italian phytochemist E. Paterno from Tabebuia avellanedae (Bignoniaceae) in 1882 and subsequently found in several other genera belonging to the families of Leguminosae, Malvaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Lamiaceae, Arecaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Verbenaceae, Celastraceae, Avicenniaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Rubiaceae, and Proteaceae. A wide range of pharmacological activities have been observed for lapachol and its semi-synthetic derivatives in the literature, such as antileishmanial, anticarcinomic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiseptic, antitumor, antiviral, bactericidal, fungicidal, insectifugal, pesticidal, schistosomicidal, termiticidal, and viricidal effects. The aim of this review is to discuss in detail the phytochemical properties and pharmacological effects of the title compound that have been reported thus far, highlighting its potential therapeutic benefits for the future.