An overview of medicinal plants as anticancer agents

Abstract

Due to the lack of conventional therapies and the severe side effects of chemotherapy, cancer is a major public health concern across the world. After cardiac disorder, it is the second leading cause of death globally. Since ancient times, medicinal plants have been utilized to cure a variety of diseases. Natural products play an essential role in the battle against cancer and serve as a useful access source for the development and testing of novel therapeutic agents. The discovery and development of anticancer drugs can be aided by medicinal plants which contain various bioactive secondary phytochemicals viz. Alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, and other secondary metabolites. The therapeutic plants and their bioactive constituents exerted anticancer effects by induction of apoptosis, removing free radicals and antioxidant effects, inhibition of angiogenesis, and cell cycle arrest. This review explains an overview of potential therapeutic plants, including a brief description of their pharmacological effect and mechanism of action.