The major disadvantages of chemotherapy are recurrence of cancer, drug resistance, and toxic effects on non-targeted tissues that can restrain the use of anticancer drugs and thus impair patient’s quality of life. The primarily available chemotherapeutic agents include antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate), DNA-interactive agents (e.g., cisplatin, doxorubicin), anti-tubulin agents (taxanes), hormones, and molecular targeting agents ( Nussbaumer et al., 2011). Currently available options for cancer treatment involve surgical removal and radiation treatment of the large accumulated biomass of cancer, typically followed by systemic chemotherapy treatment for maintenance. Considering the high profile nature of the disease, its treatment has been a constant struggle with relatively less success. In 2018, an estimated 18.1 million new cases of cancer occurred worldwide which are likely to increase to 23.6 million new cases each year by 2030 ( Bray et al., 2018). Hence, the emphasis is given to information about anticancer phytochemicals which are evaluated at preclinical and clinical level.Ĭancer is a major public health problem that has a significant global impact on both developed and developing countries. The authors wish to expand the phytochemical research area not only for their scientific soundness but also for their potential druggability. Recent trends and gaps in phytochemical based anticancer drug discovery are also explored. The primary objective of this review is to describe what we know to date of the active compounds in the natural products, along with their pharmacologic action and molecular or specific targets. The specific mechanisms include increasing antioxidant status, carcinogen inactivation, inhibiting proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and regulation of the immune system. These phytochemicals often act via regulating molecular pathways which are implicated in growth and progression of cancer. Some typical examples include taxol analogs, vinca alkaloids such as vincristine, vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin analogs. Naturally occurring compounds from plants known as phytochemicals, serve as vital resources for novel drugs and are also sources for cancer therapy.
As a result, new strategies and novel chemoprevention agents are needed to complement current cancer therapies to improve efficiency. However, the use of chemically synthesized drugs has not significantly improved the overall survival rate over the past few decades. Increasing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression has led to the development of a vast number of anticancer drugs.
Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United StatesĬancer is a severe health problem that continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide.