Anticancer Therapeutics from Insect-Derived Compounds

Cancer is a complex disease that leads to millions of deaths worldwide. Despite new and improved therapeutic approaches, achieving a complete cure for the disease and protection from its treatment side effects remains elusive. This challenge has prompted the exploration of alternative approaches to drug discovery from natural sources, making it a top priority. Insects, as well as their by-products, constitute a rich reservoir of amino acids, peptides, proteins, alkaloids, fatty acids, etc., which possess various biological activities such as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The omnipresence of insects in nature and their long history in folk medicine makes them suitable candidates for exploring towards anticancer drug discovery. Among the four major orders of Class Insecta-Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera-there are members that have demonstrated potential anti-tumor activities. This article provides an overview of anticancer bio-actives isolated from various insect species belonging to the major orders of Class Insecta. These bio-actives have been analysed in vitro and in vivo at specific levels. The diverse range of bio-actives isolated from each insect species signifies the immense potential for discovering novel therapeutics to combat cancer. At the very least, these compounds can be used in combination therapies. In the current review, an attempt was made to highlight the importance of insect-derived compounds towards anticancer drug discoveries based on the existing data gathered through literature.