Bostrycin is an anthraquinone phytotoxin with anticancer and antimycobacterial activity.
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Bostrycin is an anthraquinone pigment originally isolated from Alternaria species and identified as a nonspecific phytotoxin capable of inducing necrosis in plant tissues. Beyond its phytotoxic effects, bostrycin exhibits antimicrobial activity and inhibits the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In cancer models, bostrycin suppresses proliferation and migration of tumor cells by inducing G2/M cell-cycle arrest and triggering mitochondrial apoptosis. Proteomic studies suggest that bostrycin may induce oxidative stress and interfere with NAD+ synthesis and TCA-cycle processes, highlighting its multifunctional biological activity.