Question

Etoposide and Teniposide are the semi-synthetic derivatives of:

• A. Podophyllotoxin
• B. Digoxin
• C. Vincristine
• D. Taxol

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The correct option is (A): Podophyllotoxin.

Answer 2

Etoposide and teniposide are both semi-synthetic anticancer drugs, meaning each starts from a natural product that is chemically modified in the lab. The question is asking which natural compound that starting material actually is.

1. Podophyllotoxin: Podophyllotoxin is extracted from the rhizome of Podophyllum species (mayapple) and acts as a natural topoisomerase-disrupting lignan. Etoposide and teniposide are both made by chemically modifying podophyllotoxin, most notably by attaching a glycoside group, to change its mechanism from microtubule disruption to topoisomerase II inhibition while keeping better solubility and lower toxicity than the parent compound.
2. Digoxin: Digoxin is a cardiac glycoside from Digitalis species, used to treat heart failure and arrhythmias. It has no chemical or biosynthetic connection to etoposide or teniposide.
3. Vincristine: Vincristine is a vinca alkaloid from Catharanthus roseus, itself a chemotherapy agent that disrupts microtubules directly. It is a separate anticancer natural product, not the starting material for etoposide or teniposide.
4. Taxol: Taxol (paclitaxel) comes from Taxus (yew tree) bark and works by stabilizing microtubules. It belongs to an entirely different chemical class from the podophyllotoxin lignans and is not related to etoposide or teniposide's synthesis.

Since both drugs are made by modifying the natural lignan extracted from Podophyllum, that compound is their shared semi-synthetic starting point.

The correct answer is Podophyllotoxin.