Phytomedicine Plus (May 2023)
Understanding mechanistic aspects and therapeutic potential of natural substances as anticancer agents
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Background: Cancer, a diverse class of illnesses that have a serious impact on the human population, is a severe, complicated challenge in health care delivery and public policy. A healthy lifestyle may help us avoid several types of cancer. In 2020, there were 10.3 million cancer deaths and 19.3 million new cases worldwide. A lot of anticancer medications have been discovered due to extensive screening of synthetic compounds and natural chemicals over the last 50 years. The search for new chemotherapeutic agents that are more effective, more selective, less toxic, and more unique is still underway. Purpose: Plant-derived anticancer drugs are potent inhibitors of cancer cell lines and are therefore in high demand. The exploitation of these active ingredients must be managed to keep up with demands and be sustainable. Study design: This paper describes various natural phytoconstituents from plant origin that have anticancer potential. The main goal of this article is to increase the use of natural products and also to increase the interest of the whole world in the anti-cancer activity of natural compounds. Conclusion: Plant-derived drugs are desirable for cancer treatment because they are natural and readily available. Several useful anti-cancer compounds come from plants and these compounds have played an important role in the treatment of various types of cancer. The list of these agents includes Vinblastine, Vincristine, Docetaxel, Etoposide derived from Epipodophyllotoxin and Paclitaxel (Taxol), Flavonoids, Ginkgo biloba, Curcuma longa, Berberine, etc. However, marine organisms and microbiological organisms provided various bioactive agents/compounds with high therapeutic effects Anti-cancer treatment potential alongside herbal natural products. Examples of such drugs are trabectedin, dolastin, halichondrin, anthracyclines and enediynes. This paper focuses on novel research to explore the potential anticancer activities of several natural products that have been reported to target the tumor cell microenvironment.
