Study of anticancer potential of medicinal plants

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the incidence is expected to increase due to the influence of lifestyle, environment, and genetic factors. Despite advances in treatment, the complexity of cancer and the side effects of conventional therapies require alternative approaches. Medicinal plants, long valued for their medicinal properties, show potential in cancer treatment, which is attributed to their natural phytoconstituents. This review examines the anticancer mechanisms of specific medicinal plants and discusses their prospects for future therapeutic applications.

Anticancer mechanisms of selected medicinal plants

Medicinal plants exert anticancer effects through several pathways, including cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and disruption of signaling cascades. The mechanisms of action of the bioactive compounds of each plant are diverse:

• Oroxylum indicum - Known for its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, its extract suppresses cancer progression via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and induces apoptosis in oral carcinoma models.
• Musa paradisiaca (Banana) - The bioactive compounds of banana, especially banana lectin, promote apoptosis in cancer cells and arrest the cell cycle at the G2/M stage, indicating its significant anticancer potential.
• Colchicum autumnale — Colchicine from this plant disrupts microtubule formation, inducing apoptosis and disrupting cell division in various cancer cell lines. However, its high toxicity limits its direct clinical use, although work is underway to reduce this toxicity.
• Catharanthus roseus - The alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine obtained from this plant are known for their anti-cancer properties, particularly by inhibiting microtubule dynamics, which leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of cancer cells.
• Psidium guajava (Guava) - Demonstrated efficacy in inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which plays a key role in cancer cell survival and proliferation.
• Mangifera indica (Mango) - Mango extracts influence cancer cell survival by modulating PI3K/AKT, AMPK and NF-κB signaling pathways associated with cancer progression.
• Lagerstroemia speciosa (Banaba) - Its ethanol extracts have demonstrated cytotoxic effects on liver cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.
• Moringa oleifera - Extracts of this plant induce apoptosis by increasing the expression of p53, a key tumor suppressor protein, and induce cell cycle arrest at the G2/M stage, making it a promising candidate for cancer therapy.

Current developments and prospects

The potential of medicinal plants in cancer therapy is growing, and current research is focused on isolating active phytoconstituents, understanding their mechanisms, and developing drug delivery systems. However, challenges include variability in phytoconstituent concentrations due to environmental factors and potential toxicity associated with heavy metal contamination. A collaborative effort between researchers, clinicians, and industry is needed to integrate medicinal plants into mainstream cancer therapy.

Restrictions

Despite promising alternatives, medicinal plants have their limitations. The variability of plant composition and the risks of environmental contamination highlight the need for strict standardization of extraction and testing of phytoconstituents.

In conclusion, medicinal plants with anticancer properties hold considerable promise as alternatives or complements to conventional treatments, especially due to their ability to target specific cellular pathways and reduce treatment side effects.