Benzothiazoles and its derivatives are an important group of heterocyclic compounds that exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties such as antitumor, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticonvulsant and anti-inflammatory. These different biological applications for benzothiazole compounds have motivated new efforts in search for novel derivatives with improved biological activity and diverse applications in pharmaceutical industry. Owing to the importance of this system, the aim of this review is to highlight aspects reported on the chemistry and biological activity of benzothiazoles during the past few years (2000-2010).

Camptothecin (CPT) and its derivatives comprise an important group of heterocyclic compounds that are well recognized for their anticancer activities. Efforts have been made over the years aiming to develop new CPT analogs with better clinical efficacy, improved pharmacokinetic profile and lower toxicity. First generation of analogs, irinotecan (CPT-11) and topotecan (TPT) was approved for use by FDA in 1996 for the treatment of colorectal (CPT-11) and cervical, ovarian and small lung cancers (TPT). Other analogs of CPT are currently in different phases of clinical trials. As CPT represents an important lead compound in the field of antitumor- research, in this review we will highlight some recent discoveries (2008-2013) on the development of novel camptothecin-based compounds as potential anticancer agents.