Abstract

ANTICANCEROUS POTENTIAL OF MEDICINAL PLANTS- A REVIEW

*Abhilasha Shourie, Anjali Chandwani, Shweta Singh, Anjali Rawal and U. Vijayalakshmi

Abstract

Cancer is a major public health burden in both developed and developing countries and globally the numbers of cancer patients are increasing day by day. There are several medicines available in the market to treat the various types of cancer but no drug is found to be fully effective and safe. So the anticancer activity of certain natural products and their analogs are being explored. Diverse efficient compounds derived from natural products have been isolated as anticancer agents. These chemical compounds are formulated with a view to create effective drugs against cancer. This review focuses on some medicinal plants used for treating cancer. The phytochemical exploration of these plants will make significant contribution to the discovery of new anticancer drugs. In recent years, owing to the fear of side effects, people prefer to use natural plant products for cancer treatment. Although drug discovery from medicinal plants continues to provide an important source of safe drugs, numerous challenges are encountered including the procurement of plant materials and their selection. This paper reviews wide array of promising bioactive compounds obtained from various medicinal plants and their potential therapeutic uses.

Keywords: Cancer, Bioactive compounds, Medicinal plants, Anti-cancerous property.