THE ANTICANCER POTENTIAL OF VAN LAKE BASIN PLANTS

Abstract

Abstract: For centuries, people have used plants in their environment for food and various needs, as well as for treating diseases. The main reason for the increasing demand for herbal resources in recent years is that synthetic drugs cause negative consequences that can damage various organs of the body while treating diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that 80% of the world's population primarily uses medicinal plants to prevent and cure diseases. Cancer, a disease with a rapidly increasing incidence and mortality rate, is currently second only to cardiovascular diseases. The toxicity of modern chemotherapy and the resistance of cancer cells to anticancer agents have led the scientific world to search for new treatments and prevention methods for this insidious disease. The therapeutic properties of plants, which generally do not have significant side effects, are associated with biologically active organic compounds, and the geochemical composition of the region where they grow. Van Lake Basin has a rich plant diversity thanks to its climate, geographical features, and soil content. This region is home to many medicinal plant species that are used by the people but have not yet been investigated and their phytochemical structure is not fully understood. Although the plants in this region have been used for centuries by the people, as seen from their ancestors, studies need to prove their therapeutic effects in vivo and in vitro. This study presents the anticancer potentials of some crucial plants (Eryngium billardieri Delar., Cichorium intybus, Bongardia chrysogonum (L.) Spach, Bryonia multiflora Boiss. & Heldr., Euphorbia macroclada Boiss., Scutellaria orientalis L., Plantago major L., and Primula auriculata Lam.) reported to be used in treating various diseases in the Van Lake Basin by analyzing the in vitro and in vivo anticancer studies conducted with the same plants in the literature.