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Review
. 2008 Sep;9(7):581-91.
doi: 10.2174/138920008785821657.

Medicinal plants and cancer chemoprevention

Avni G Desai  1 , Ghulam N Qazi, Ramesh K Ganju, Mahmoud El-Tamer, Jaswant Singh, Ajit K Saxena, Yashbir S Bedi, Subhash C Taneja, Hari K Bhat
Affiliations
Review

Medicinal plants and cancer chemoprevention

Avni G Desai et al. Curr Drug Metab. 2008 Sep.

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Although great advancements have been made in the treatment and control of cancer progression, significant deficiencies and room for improvement remain. A number of undesired side effects sometimes occur during chemotherapy. Natural therapies, such as the use of plant-derived products in cancer treatment, may reduce adverse side effects. Currently, a few plant products are being used to treat cancer. However, a myriad of many plant products exist that have shown very promising anti-cancer properties in vitro, but have yet to be evaluated in humans. Further study is required to determine the efficacy of these plant products in treating cancers in humans. This review will focus on the various plant-derived chemical compounds that have, in recent years, shown promise as anticancer agents and will outline their potential mechanism of action.

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Figures

Fig. (1)
Fig. (1)
Tinospora cordifolia, also known as guduchi in Sanskrit, giloya in Hindi and heartleaf moonseed plant in English, under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India. Inset: T. codifolia – dry stems, source of crude drug.
Fig. (2)
Fig. (2)
Andrographis paniculata commonly known as bhunimba and kalmegha in Sanskrit, kiryat in Hindi and the kreat king of bitters and chiretta in English, under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India. Inset: A.paniculata – close up of flowering branch.
Fig. (3)
Fig. (3)
Curcuma longa is popularly known as turmeric in English, haridra in Sanskrit and haldi in Hindi, under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India. Inset: C. longa – dry rhizomes-a source of crude drug.
Fig. (4)
Fig. (4)
Mappia foetida under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India. Inset: M. foetida – close up of fruiting branch.
Fig. (5)
Fig. (5)
Withania somnifera known as ashwagandha in Sanskrit and Hindi, winter cherry in English under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India.
Fig. (6)
Fig. (6)
Boswellia serrata under cultivation at experimental fields of IIIM, Jammu, India.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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