Nature is an inexhaustible source of natural compounds with interesting
biological activities. In general, natural products are an important source of new compounds with a variety of structural arrangements and singular properties. Styryl
lactones are a group of secondary metabolites ubiquitous in the genus Goniothalamus that have demonstrated to possess interesting
biological properties, in particular antiproliferative activity against
cancer cells. In general, the cytotoxicity of styryl
lactones appears to be specific against
cancer cells since insignificant effects of these compounds on normal cells are reported. A large body of evidence suggests that the antiproliferative activity of styryl
lactones is associated with the induction of apoptosis in target cells. In the first part of this review we discuss the
biological activities of styryl
lactones focusing on
cancer cells, the causal agent of
Chagas' disease and the vectors for
yellow fever and human
lymphatic filariasis. Stru described in detail for ninety styryl
lactones. The last part describes the molecular targets of styryl
lactones for inducing apoptosis, as well as immunosuppressive and inflammatory processes. Overall, understanding how these compounds exert their activities in
biological system is essential for future development and application of styryl
lactones for human health.