N.B.S. Institute of Pharmacy, Ausa, dist. Latur, India.
One of the main causes of death is cancer, and its incidence is steadily rising throughout the world. Numerous illnesses, including cancer, have been treated with traditional medicine, its active compounds, and certain natural products. There are a number of medications on the market to treat different kinds of cancer, but none of them have been proven to be completely safe and effective. The toxicity of the current medications is the main issue with cancer chemotherapy. Nonetheless, plants and medicines derived from them have shown promise in the management and treatment of cancer. There are numerous natural compounds, and some of them have been found to have strong anticancer properties. Nowadays, the majority of cancer medication research involves..
Plants have been used to treat illnesses for as long as civilization [1], and traditional medicines continue to play a significant role in the routine treatment of various illnesses [2]. Due to historical, cultural, and other factors, folk medicine has gained popularity recently, particularly in underdeveloped nations with little access to healthcare. Serious negative consequences could result, nevertheless, if medicinal herbs are not scientifically evaluated to support their usage [3]. Biologically active materials are thought to be mostly found in plants. Eighty percent of rural residents use medicinal plants as their primary healthcare system, according to recent figures [4]. In both industrialized and developing nations, cancer is one of the most common illnesses. It is a class of diseases where body cells divide abnormally and uncontrollably, which can be fatal.Normal cells are typically invaded and destroyed by cancer cells.Therefore, we can regulate the development of cancer if we limit or stop this cell division.Despite spending billions of dollars on research, we still do not fully understand what cancer is.Millions of people receive a cancer diagnosis each year, which results in their death.Approximately 3500 million people wordwide lose their lives to cancer.A number of chemopreventive me icines are used to treat cancer, but their toxicity limits their applications.
What Causes Cancer?
Mutations in DNA, which tell cells how to divide and proliferate, may be the first cause of cancer. Most DNA mutations can be fixed by normal cells, but those that cannot be fixed and cause the cell to proliferate can turn into cancer [5]. The History of Traditional Medicine Medicinal plants have been used to treat various diseases for thousands of years and in many parts of the world [6]. Humans used medicinal plants before 60,000 years ago, according to fossil records [7]. Today, plants remain the main source of medicine in rural areas of developing nations [8], and it is estimated that 80% of people in these countries still use medicinal plants for their health care [9].
Ayurvedic Concept of Cancer
Both Charaka and Sushruta Samhita [10,11] referred to the cancer's counterpart as "Granthi" and "Arbuda" [12]. Depending on the dosage, "Granthi" and "Arbuda" can either be inflammatory or non-inflammatory [13]. Ayurveda defines health as the balanced coordination of the body, mind, and consciousness of the three doshas “Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha” that cause disease [14]. The loss of mutual coordination among the three main body humors causes a morbid condition, which is why tridoshicarbudas are typically malignant [15].
Role Of Plants as Medicinal and Anticancer Agent
Since the beginning of human civilization, plants have been used as a source of food, shelter, and medicine. It is estimated that 80–85% of the world's population relies on traditional medicines for their primary health care needs, and it is assumed that a large portion of traditional therapy involves the use of plant extracts or their active principles [16,17,18]. While many recent studies have been conducted to advance the treatment and control of cancer progression, there is still much work to be done and room for improvement. The main drawbacks of synthetic drugs are the side effects they cause, but plant-derived products are much safer and have much lower toxicity than synthetic chemical drugs. When the cytotoxic podophyllotoxins were isolated and the vinca alkaloids (vinblastin and vincristine) were discovered and developed in the 1950s, the hunt for anticancer agents from plant sources began [19].
The Use of Plants in Cancer Therapy
cancer patients is constantly increasig Approximately 2to3 percent of deaths worldwide are caused by various forms of cancer [20], and the available treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation [21]. The rising costs of traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, and the lack of effective medications to treat solid tumors have led to a greater reliance on traditional medicine, which is based on the use of medicinal plants [22]. These plants have an almost limitless capacity to produce substances that draw researchers looking for new and innovative chemotherapeutics [23]. Despite the fact that some plant products are used in cancer therapy, plant derived anticancer agents only make up onefourth of the available treatmentoptions. Nine plantderived compoundsVinblastin, Vincristin, navelbine, Etoposide, Teniposide, Taxol, Taxotere, topotecan, and irinote can have been approved for use in cancer therapy in the United States since 1961 [24]. Plant-Derived Anticancer Agents in Clinical Use.
Fig.1 [51]
1.Vinca Alkaloids
Vinca alkaloids are a significant family of anticancer medications. Vinblastine (VLB) and vincristine (VCR), two significant naturally occurring chemicals derived from the Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus G. Don. (Apocynaceae), were the first agents to be used in therapeutic settings.These medications were found while looking for oral hypoglycemics.Researchers found that plant extracts triggered bone marrow depression in rats and dramatically decreased white blood cell numbers, albeit they were unable to substantiate this activity.Mice with transplantable lymphocytic leukemia also live longer thanks to plant extract.Vincristine and vinblastine, two active alkaloids, were isolated after additional extraction and fractionation.Although the plant was native to Madagascar, samples used to identify vincristine and inblastine were gathered in Jamaica and the Philippines.The semisynthetic analogues of vinca alkaloids vindesine (VDS) and vinorelbine (VRLB) have been developed recently.These are mostly used to treat a range of malignancies, either by themselves or in conjunction with other chemotherapy medications.VLB is used to treat Kaposi’s sarcoma, lymphomas, leukemias, breast cancer, testicular cancer, and lung cancer.Additionally, VCR demonstrated effectiveness against leukemia, specifically juvenile acute lymphocytic leukemia [25,26].When compared to other vinca alkaloids, vinflunine, a bifluorinated derivative of vinorelbine, has better anticancer activity.Both vinflunine and vinorelbine show decreased toxicity in animal models, and this new vinca alkaloid is presently undergoing phase II clinical studies [27, 28].
Fig.2 [52]
2.Allium Sativum
In India, Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic or ginger, is used to treat a wide range of illnesses.Allicin is the main ingredient in raw garlic, and allicin rearranges to produce ajoene.Its cytotoxin action has been evaluated using human primary fibroblasts, a tumorigenic lymphoid cell line obtained from a burkit lymphoma, and a permanent nontumorigenic cell line produced from baby lamster kidney cells.The range of the cytotoxic activity was 250 ug/m l29.In a number of animal models, some organo sulfur compounds found in garlic, such as sallylesteine, have been shown to track the development of chemically produced and transplantable tumors [30].Garlic may have anticancer effects, according to the National Cancer Institute, which is part of the NIH.Garlic (250 mg/kg, p.o., three times a week) significantly inhibited the development of tongue carcinogenesis caused by nitroquinoline1oxide in male wistar rats, as evidenced by the absence of carcinomas during the initiation phase and their decreased occurrence during the postinitiation phase [31].Garlic's sulphydryl components have the power to prevent the development of chemicals that cause cancer.Increased garlic consumption has been linked in a number of population studies to a lower risk of pancreatic, esophageal, colon, stomach, and breast cancers [32].
Fig.3 [53]
3. Silybum Marianum
The milk thistle plant, Silybum marianum, yielded the flavonoid compound silymarin.Silymarin was investigated for its ability to prevent UV induced skin cancer in mice.Silymarin treatment demonstrated a strong anticancer effect, lowering the likelihood of tumor incidence to 60%, tumor multiplicity to 78%, and tumor volume per mouse to 90% [33].Cell cycle arrest at the G1/Sphase, induction of cyclindependent kinase inhibitors, downregulation of antiapoptotic gene product, inhibition of cellsurvival kinases, and inhibition of inflammatory transcription factors are some of the ways that silymarin suppresses the growth of tumor cells.Additionally, it was discovered that silymarin inhibited gene products linked to tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis [34].One of the main components of Silybum marianum fruits, silibinin (flavanolignan), is also helpful in treating breast cancer in humans [35].
Fig.4 [54]
4. Podophyllotoxin Derivative
Podophyllum peltatum Linnaeus and P. emodii Wallich are two species of the Podophyllaceae family that have a long history of therapeutic use, including the treatment of warts and skin cancers.Native American people have utilized podophyllum peltatum to treat “cancer.”The discovery in the 1940s that a topical application of an alcohol extract of the dried roots, known as podophyllin, treats venereal warts sparked interest.Although podophyllotoxins were the main cytotoxic medicinal ingredients and were isolated for the first time in 1880, it was not until the 1950s that spectroscopic techniques advanced enough to reveal its true composition.During this time, other closely related podophyllotoxins, such as lignans, were also isolated and put into clinical trials; however, their ineffectiveness and intolerable toxicity led to their withdrawal.In the 1960s and 1970s, Sandoz Laboratories in Switzerland conducted extensive research that resulted in the development of etoposide and teniposide as clinical agents that are currently being used to treat lymphomas as well as bronchial and testicular cancers. As of July 2004, the NCI had recorded 2069 anticancer clinical trials in progress, of which more than 150 were drug combinations that included etoposide against various cancers [36,37].
Fig. 5 [55]
5.Taxanes
The creation of a class of molecules known as taxanes represents a more recent development in the creation of chemotherapeutic agents derived fromplants.The bark of Taxus brevifolia Nutt. (Taxaceae) is where paclitaxel, commonly known as taxol, was initially isolated.They entered the market in the 1990s after their structure was initially discovered in 1971.While the leaves of T. baccata are used in Ayurveda, with one use in treating “cancer,” several Native American tribes have documented using various parts of T. brevifolia and other Taxus species (e.g., T. canadensis Marshall, T. baccata L.) to treat certain noncancerous conditions.A significant, renewable natural source of this significant class of medications is the readily semi-synthetic conversion of the relatively abundant baccatins to paclitaxel and active paclitaxel analogs, like docetaxel (Taxotere). Paclitaxel is biosynthesised and found in the leaves of several Taxus species.In addition to being effective against Kaposi sarcoma, paclitaxel is used to treat a wide range of malignancies, such as breast, ovarian, and non-smallcell lung cancer.Additionally, it has garnered interest because of its potential for treating rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis [38].It was discovered that docetaxel, a semisynthetic derivative of paclitaxel, was more efficient. Patients who are resistant to paclitaxel may be treated with docetaxel.For patients with ovarian, breast, or metastatic cancer, docetaxel and paclitaxel are utilized as first- and secondline treatments, respectively [39].
Fig.6 [56]
6.Curcumin
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a polyphenolic compound that was isolated from the Indian plant species Curcuma longa (commonly called turmeric), is now being used as a potential anticancer compound. While turmeric is primarily promoted as an antiinflammatory herbal remedy, some scientists think that the antioxidant curcumin in turmeric may prevent or slow the growth of many cancers, including tumors of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine, breast cancer, and skin cancer in experimental animals. Curcumin is involved in modulating the cell cycle pathway and induced apoptosis of various cancer cells, though the precise mechanism of action has not yet been thoroughly studied. Phase I/II trials are currently being conducted to determine how curcumin affects colorectal cancer, multiple myeloma, and pancreatic cancer [40,41].Known for its antiinflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties, curcumin is used in Chinese medicine and as the yellow coloring ingredient in curry, a traditional Indian dish. It may also help treat diabetes, allergies, arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease.discussed curcumin and proposed that agents that target multiple genes, like curcumin, are necessary for cancer prevention and treatment because the majority of cancers are caused by dysregulation of up to 500 different genes [42].
7.Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea)
Green tea and occasionally black tea include polyphenols that aid in the death of malignant cells and the prevention of their spread.In green tea, epigallocatechin3gallate (EGCG) is the most prevalent polyphenol.Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a kind of blood cancer, had fewer leukemia cells because to green tea's epigalloacatechin gallate (EGCG).According to certain epidemiological research, EGCG can prevent human colon and oral cancer cells from invading and migrating.Reduced MMP2, MMP9, and uPA synthesis may be partially responsible for the effects of EGCG [43].Additionally, it was found that EGCG inhibited the growth of cancer cell lines such as hepatocellular carcinoma by inducing cell cycle arrest [44], inhibited the growth of cancer cells in ovarian carcinoma cell lines HEY and OVCA, and inhibited the growth of cancer cells in human colon and rectal cancer cell lines HT29 and HCA7 [45,46,47,48]. In addition, studies found that women who drank powdered green tea had a lower risk of bladder cancer, and that men who drank the most green tea had a 37 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer. A large Chinese clinical study found that the risk of prostate cancer decreased as the frequency and quantity of green tea consumption increased, but that green tea could decrease the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence but not prevent or improve breast cancer [50].
CONCLUSION
This review article offers details on natural medicines and herbs that may be able to treat or slow the spread of cancer. A number of clean, efficient agents for the treatment of various cancers have been found in natural materials and their derivatives.It is well known that medicinal plants have strong anticancer properties. When discussing anticancer treatments, they are frequently mentioned as a major source of synthetic or herbal ingredients.The use of natural medicines derived from medicinal plants is crucial in the fight against cancer.In animal models of sarcoma, skin cancer, and leukemia, they have demonstrated anticancer activity.
REFRENCES
Patil Sunita, Kalal Laxmi, Anticancer Potential of Plant and Natural Product, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2025, Vol 3, Issue 3, 1477-1485. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15034793
10.5281/zenodo.15034793
