Anticancer activity of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. (Tanduliya): A Review

Abstract

Cancer is served typical life-threatening disease with common risk factors. Developing therapeutic measures for cancers has aroused attention for a long time. However, the problems with conventional treatments are in challenge, including side effects, economic burdens, and patient compliance. It is essential to secure safe and efficient therapeutic methods to overcome these issues. The current review portrays the functions of Tanduliya (Amaranthus spinosus Linn.), and its phytoconstituents against several types of cancers, and explores the possibility of developing these agents as a promising candidate for cancer treatment. A. spinosus is an edible plant, belonging to the family Amaranthaceae widely found in Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Indonesia, and used for dietary and medicinal values. Among the various beneficial pharmacological effects of A. spinosus, anticancer activity is presumably less studied. A. spinosus contains several secondary metabolites like glycosides, phenolic compounds, steroids, terpenoids, saponin, carotenoids, tannins, etc. that strongly assure their anticancer activity. The effects of A. spinosus and its various derived phytoconstituents have been shown to anticancer activity against breast, hepatocellular, prostate, and colorectal cancer in various preclinical models. The in-depth review of existing studies has shown the promising anticancer activity of A. spinosus extract, and its bioactive molecules by inhibiting the different stages of cancer, including initiation, promotion, and progression. Besides valuable nutraceuticals, A. spinosus has multi-targeted actions like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory activity and the nontoxic nature of A. spinosus probably plays a crucial role in killing cancerous cells.