Karwinskia genus consists of shrubs and small trees. Four toxic compounds have been isolated from Karwinskia plants, which were typified as dimeric anthracenones and named T496, T514, T516, and T544. Moreover, several related compounds have been isolated and characterized. Here we review the toxicity of the fruit of Karwinskia plants when ingested (accidentally or experimentally), as well as the toxicity of its isolated compounds. Additionally, we analyze the probable antineoplastic effect of T514. Toxins cause damage mainly to nervous system, liver, lung, and kidney. The pathophysiological mechanism has not been fully understood but includes metabolic and structural alterations that can lead cells to apoptosis or necrosis. T514 has shown selective toxicity in vitro against human cancer cells. T514 causes selective and irreversible damage to peroxisomes; for this reason, it was renamed peroxisomicine A1 (PA1). Since a significant number of malignant cell types contain fewer peroxisomes than normal cells, tumor cells would be more easily destroyed by PA1 than healthy cells. Inhibition of topoisomerase II has also been suggested to play a role in the effect of PA1 on malignant cells. More research is needed, but the evidence obtained so far indicates that PA1 could be an effective anticancer agent.

中文翻译：

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Karwinskia 的毒性和抗癌潜力：综述


Karwinskia 属由灌木和小乔木组成。从 Karwinskia 植物中分离出四种有毒化合物，其典型为二聚蒽酮，命名为 T496、T514、T516 和 T544。此外，还分离并表征了几种相关化合物。在这里，我们回顾了卡文斯基亚植物果实在摄入（意外或实验）时的毒性，以及其分离化合物的毒性。此外，我们还分析了 T514 可能的抗肿瘤作用。毒素主要对神经系统、肝、肺、肾造成损害。其病理生理机制尚未完全了解，但包括可导致细胞凋亡或坏死的代谢和结构改变。 T514 在体外显示出针对人类癌细胞的选择性毒性。 T514对过氧化物酶体造成选择性且不可逆的损伤；因此，它被更名为过氧化物胺 A1 (PA1)。由于大量恶性细胞类型比正常细胞含有更少的过氧化物酶体，因此肿瘤细胞比健康细胞更容易被 PA1 破坏。拓扑异构酶 II 的抑制也被认为在 PA1 对恶性细胞的作用中发挥了作用。还需要更多的研究，但迄今为止获得的证据表明 PA1 可能是一种有效的抗癌剂。