The Beneficial Effects of Traditional Iranian Medicine for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Traditionally, Middle Eastern herbal medicines, especially traditional Iranian medicines (TIM), have been used by cancer patients both during and after active cancer treatments. Medicinal plants and herbs which are common in traditional Iranian medicine are considered to be less toxic and less expensive than chemical drugs. Alkaloid anti-cancer compounds are pyrrolidine, tropane, pyridine, piperidine, quinolizidine, pyrrolizidine, isoquinoline, indolizidine, isoxazaole, oxazole, quinoline, quinazoline, purine, indole serin, colchicine, β-phenylethylamine, abornin, benzylamine, narciclasine, and pancratistatin. Anticancer terpenoids compounds from medicinal plants and herbs are alpha-hederin, isoprene, galanal A, galanal B, oleanane, carnosol, and xanthorrhizol. Anticancer phenolic compounds from medicinal plants are kaempferol, flavones, flavonol, curcumin, luteoline, chalcone, apigenin, and cafesterol. All relevant papers in the English language from different research using the keywords traditional Persian medicine, traditional Iranian medicine, natural products, and cancer were collected from PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. Some of the most important medicinal plants and herbs in the middle east, especially in Iran, with anti-caner activities are Acorus calamus, Aracia seyal, Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa, Agaricus campestris, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Apium graveolens, Anethum graveolens, Arum palaestinum, Artemisia absinthium, Beta vulgaris, Astoma seselifolium, Brassica oleraceae, Brassica nigra, Boswellia carterii, Capparis spinosa, Bryonia syriaca, Ceterach officinarum, Cassia senna, Cichorium intybus, Chrysanthemum coronarium, Citrullus colocynthis, Cinnamomum camphora, Crataegus azarolus, Crocus sativus, Cucumis melo, Nigella sativa, Olea europaea, Peganum harmala, Punica granatum, Pistacia lentiscus, Zingiber officinale, Thymus vulgaris, Vitis vinifera, Viscum cruciatum, and Urtica pilulifera. Iranian medicinal plants and herbs should be considered more as a notable and great potential source of novel chemical ingredients with anti-cancer activities.

Keywords

• natural products
• ginger
• traditional Asian medicine
• traditional Iranian medicine
• Artemisia
• olive