Bioactive poly(arsenic) compounds.

An overview of the biological activities of arsenic compounds containing more than one arsenic atom in their molecular structure is presented. This contribution covers the literature of the last 10-12 years concerning the in vitro and in vivo studies on arsenic species. They include inorganic oxides and sulfides, already employed for a long time in traditional Chinese medicine and currently investigated against hematological or solid malignancies, with arsenic trioxide clinically used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Chemical and biological aspects on the marine product arsenicin A, representing the first and only organic polyarsenical isolated from Nature, have also been reviewed, pointing out the characterization of its C3H6As4O3 molecular structure by experimental and theoretical vibrational spectroscopies, the potent antimicrobial activities, and the promising perspectives as an antitumor agent.