Abstract
Simple SummaryThe Solanaceae family is one of the most important arable and economic families in the world. In addition, it includes a wide range of valuable active secondary metabolites of species with biological and medical properties. This literature review focuses on the assessment of the anticancer properties of the extracts and pure compounds, and the synergistic effects with chemotherapeutic agents and nanoparticles from various species of the Solanaceae family, as well as their potential molecular mechanisms of action in in vitro and in vivo studies in various types of tumours.Many of the anticancer agents that are currently in use demonstrate severe side effects and encounter increasing resistance from the target cancer cells. Thus, despite significant advances in cancer therapy in recent decades, there is still a need to discover and develop new, alternative anticancer agents. The plant kingdom contains a range of phytochemicals that play important roles in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. The Solanaceae family is widely used in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, due to its bioactive ingredient content. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight the antitumour activity of Solanaceae extracts—single isolated compounds and nanoparticles with extracts—and their synergistic effect with chemotherapeutic agents in various in vitro and in vivo cancer models. In addition, the biological properties of many plants of the Solanaceae family have not yet been investigated, which represents a challenge and an opportunity for future anticancer therapy.
Highlights
Cancer is arguably one of the most dangerous diseases for civilization, affecting all people, regardless the their origin, age or social status
This research papers included in this review focused on in vitro and in vivo studies of plant extracts or isolated compounds from the Solanaceae family administered per se, or in combination with chemotherapeutics
Hussain et al reported a synergistic effect between cisplatin and Aloe vera extract on MCF-7 and human cervical cancer (HeLa) cancer cell lines, suggesting that the plant extract may increase the therapeutic efficacy of conventional anticancer drugs [81]
Summary
Cancer is arguably one of the most dangerous diseases for civilization, affecting all people, regardless the their origin, age or social status. As the currently used chemotherapeutic agents show relatively high toxicity towards both neoplastic cells and normal cells [9–11], there is great interest in the identification of new compounds of natural origin with specific activity against different cancer types. The range of secondary metabolites known to exhibit anticancer properties is chemically broad, with the predominant groups being alkaloids, terpenoids and polyphenols [17,18]. Both pure compounds and extracts of plant origin show cytotoxic effects by inducing apoptosis in cancer cells [19–24]. The reports discussed the functional properties of extracts or compounds isolated from Solanaceae species that are known to exert selective anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo, as well as their synergistic effects when used in combination with chemotherapeutic agents.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
