Approved Medicinal Plants with Anticancer Properties: A Comprehensive Review (KEY IJP************031)

• Al Amin

Abstract

As oneof the top causes of death globally, cancer warrants the investigation of alternative and complementary therapeutic strategies. Bioactive compounds of anticancer potential are found in variousmedicinal plants for many centuries. In this review, we review the anticancer activities of various medicinal plants, their secondary phytochemical constituents which areengaged in anticancer activity, mechanism of action and therapeutic efficacy. References to the major compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols that play important roles in the inductionof apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, and modulation of signaling pathways are described. The review also outlinesthe challenges faced in developing plant-based anticancer drugs, which include standardization, bioavailability, and toxicity. Medicinal plants hold great promise as a source of new anticancer agents, but further studies are needed in order to translate their traditional use into contemporarytherapies.