Strigolactones: Phytohormones with Promising Biomedical Applications

Strigolactones are a class of carotenoid-derived plant hormones, which impact many functions of plant metabolism in response to environmental stress. They also act as exogenous signals perceived by both mycorrhizal fungi and parasitic plants. The peculiar chemical skeleton of these molecules and their mode of action in plants inspired possible applications in biomedical fields. In this minireview, an overview of the most recent applications of Strigolactones and analog derivatives as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral drugs is described.