Abstract
Simple SummaryThe plant Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn.), commonly known as lotus, sacred lotus, Indian lotus, water lily, or Chinese water lily, is an aquatic perennial crop belonging to the family of Nelumbonaceae. N. nucifera has traditionally been used as an herbal medicine and functional food in many parts of Asia. It has been found that different parts of this plant consist of various bioactive phytocompounds. Within the past few decades, N. nucifera and its phytochemicals have been subjected to intense cancer research. In this review, we critically evaluate the potential of N. nucifera phytoconstituents in cancer prevention and therapy with related mechanisms of action. Cancer is one of the major leading causes of death worldwide. Accumulating evidence suggests a strong relationship between specific dietary habits and cancer development. In recent years, a food-based approach for cancer prevention and intervention has been gaining tremendous attention. Among diverse dietary and medicinal plants, lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., family Nymphaeaceae), also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus or Chinese water lily, has the ability to effectively combat this disease. Various parts of N. nucifera have been utilized as a vegetable as well as an herbal medicine for more than 2000 years in the Asian continent. The rhizome and seeds of N. nucifera represent the main edible parts. Different parts of N. nucifera have been traditionally used to manage different disorders, such as fever, inflammation, insomnia, nervous disorders, epilepsy, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and hyperlipidemia. It is believed that numerous bioactive components, including alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids, steroids, and glycosides, are responsible for its various biological and pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory, antiviral, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and hypoglycemic activities. Nevertheless, there is no comprehensive review with an exclusive focus on the anticancer attributes of diverse phytochemicals from different parts of N. nucifera. In this review, we have analyzed the effects of N. nucifera extracts, fractions and pure compounds on various organ-specific cancer cells and tumor models to understand the cancer-preventive and therapeutic potential and underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of this interesting medicinal and dietary plant. In addition, the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and possible toxicity of N. nucifera-derived phytochemicals, as well as current limitations, challenges and future research directions, are also presented.
Highlights
Cancer is the second leading cause of both morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancerCancer is the second leading cause of both morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancer deaths in the year 2020 [1]
Dietary intervention may improve the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy all cancers [3]
MFC human gastric cancer cells were treated with water-soluble polysaccharides extracted from N. nucifera seeds, and the results showed inhibition of cell proliferation [102]
Summary
Cancer is the second leading cause of both morbidity and mortality throughout the world, with an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancer. The cancer-preventive potential of various fruits, vegetables, spices, whole grains, and herbs is attributed to the potential of various fruits, vegetables, spices, whole grains, and herbs is attributed to the presence of secondary plant metabolites, known as phytochemicals. Indian lotus lotus or or Chinese water lily, is a well-known dietary and medicinal plant. During the last several decades, N. nucifera has been subjected to intense research that evaluated the antineoplastic effects of various parts and active constituents of this dietary and medicinal plant. Several parts of N. nucifera are known to contain various pharmacologically active constituents and the most prominent phytochemical classes include alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids polysaccharides, steroids, essential oils, tannins, glycosides, proteins, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins [29,31,34,40–43].
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