2-Ethylhydrazide

**Semantic type:** Organic Chemical|Pharmacologic Substance

**Definition:** A podophyllic acid derivative of podophyllotoxin, a substance extracted from the mandrake root Podophyllum peltatum. Possessing potent antineoplastic properties, 2-ethylhydrazide binds to and inhibits topoisomerase II and its function in ligating cleaved DNA molecules, resulting in the accumulation of single- or double-strand DNA breaks, the inhibition of DNA replication and transcription, and apoptotic cell death.