Abstract

MEDICINAL PLANTS: THEIR USE IN ANTICANCER TREATMENT

Sapana Sukale*, Asst. Prof. Lasure A.B., Asst. Prof. Deshmukh S. and
Prof. Shyamlila Bawage

ABSTRACT

Worldwide, cancer is the most common disease affecting humans. There is an urgent need for new drugs to treat and prevent this life-threatening disease. The interest in science and research draws their attention to natural compounds as they are considered to be less harmful toxins compared to current therapies such as chemotherapy. Plant Kingdom produces two naturally occurring metabolites that are being investigated for their anti-cancer activities leading to the development of new clinical drugs. With the success of these combinations that have been developed into basic cancer treatments new technologies are emerging to improve the environment. The new technology incorporates nano-medicines nanoparticles aimed at improving the anti-cancer activity of drugs taken from the plant by controlling compound release and investigating new management methods. This review discusses the need for compounds that are naturally derived from medicinal plants and their properties that make them targeted for potential cancer-fighting treatments.

Keywords: anticancer, secondary metabolites, polyphenols, cytotoxicity, epigenetics.