TERPENES: NATURAL COMPOUNDS WITH POTENTIAL USES IN LUNG CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY

Several natural products are currently available as chemotherapeutic agents against frequently occurring cancer. This review reports terpenes from plants that have showed chemotherapeutic activity against lung cancer. In this review, 40 references were found in the period from 1998 to 2018. Terpenes were compiled according to their chemical structures and pharmacological data obtained from different experimental models. From consulted references, 31 terpenes had chemotherapeutic activity in cells of lung cancer, and among them, the triterpenes were the most studied. The MTT assay was the most utilized method in order to evaluate pharmacological activity. According to the specialized literature, terpenes are a great promise as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of lung cancer. Some of them are remarkably active, and further research on its anticancer activity seems to be promising.