Plant-Based Anticancer Compounds With a Focus on Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a common form of cancer among women characterized by the growth of malignant cells in the breast tissue. The most common treatments for this condition include chemotherapy, surgical intervention, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy. The primary issues associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy are their adverse events and significant financial burden among patients in underdeveloped countries. This highlights the need to explore and develop superior therapeutic options that are less detrimental and more economically efficient. Plants provide an abundant supply of innovative compounds and present a promising new avenue for investigating cancer. Plants and their derivations are undergoing a revolution due to their reduced toxicity, expediency, cost-effectiveness, safety, and simplicity in comparison to conventional treatment methods. Natural products are considered promising candidates for the development of anticancer drugs, due perhaps to the diverse pleiotropic effects on target events. The effects of plant-derived products are limited to cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Identification of compounds with strong anticancer properties and development of plant-based medications for cancer treatment might be crucial steps in breast cancer therapy. Although bioactive compounds have potent anticancer properties, they also have drawbacks that need to be resolved before their application in clinical trials and improved for the approved drugs. This study aims to give comprehensive information on known anticancer compounds, including their sources and molecular mechanisms of actions, along with opportunities and challenges in plant-based anticancer therapies.

Keywords: adverse events; anticancer therapeutic; breast cancer; carcinogenesis; plant‐based compounds.

FIGURE 1

Main agents involved in the development of cancer.

FIGURE 2

Classification, genetic factors, pathways, and cellular models of breast cancer.

FIGURE 3

The plant derived‐natural compound (nobiletin) triggers programmed cell death and inhibits the movement and growth of human breast cancer cells through modulating the p38 MAPK, NF‐κB, and Nrf2 signaling pathways.

FIGURE 4

Anticancer mechanisms of some plant‐derived compounds in breast cancer model.

FIGURE 5

Extraction, characterization, testing, and prospective use of a bioactive chemical as a cancer treatment agent.