Omkar V Dhanawade¹, Devyani V Divase¹, Pratiksha S Teli², and Firoj A Tamboli³

¹UG Students, B. Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Near Chitranagari, Kolhapur - 416013 Maharashtra, India
²Department of Pharmacognosy, Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth-vadgaon, Kolhapur, 416112, India
³Department of Pharmacognosy, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Near Chitranagari, Kolhapur - 416013 Maharashtra, India

*Corresponding Author: Firoj A Tamboli, Department of Pharmacognosy, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Near Chitranagari, Kolhapur - 416013 Maharashtra, India.

Received: September 11, 2025; Published: September 19, 2025

Abstract

One of the biggest causes of sickness and death in the globe is still cancer, prompting ongoing research into complementary and integrative therapeutic strategies. Medicinal plants have attracted a lot of interest due to their possible anticancer qualities, coupled with their ability to support nutritional health—an essential factor influencing patient outcomes. This review comprehensively examines the current literature on the role of medicinal plants in cancer treatment, with a particular focus on their contributions to enhancing nutritional status and overall health in cancer patients. We explore the bioactive compounds present in various plants, their mechanisms of action against cancer cells, and their impact on mitigating treatment-related side effects such as malnutrition, cachexia, and immune suppression. Additionally, the review discusses the synergistic effects of combining phytotherapy with nutritional interventions to improve therapeutic efficacy and quality of life. By integrating insights from phytochemistry, nutrition science, and oncology, this article underscores the potential of medicinal plants as valuable adjuncts in cancer care, advocating for further clinical research to standardize their use and optimize patient-centered outcomes.

Keywords: Medicinal Plants; Cancer Treatment; Nutritional Health; Phytotherapy

References

1. Wu Z., et al. “Global burden of cancer and associated risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1980-2021: a systematic analysis for the GBD 2021”. Journal of Hematology and Oncology 17 (2024): 119.
2. Petrovska BB. “Historical review of medicinal plants' usage”. Pharmacognosy Review11 (2012): 1-5.
3. Hossain MS., et al. “Dietary Phytochemicals in Health and Disease: Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, and Applications-A Comprehensive Review”. Food Science Nutrition3 (2025): e70101.
4. Kumar A., et al. “Major Phytochemicals: Recent Advances in Health Benefits and Extraction Method”. Molecules2 (2023): 887.
5. Tabolacci E., et al. “Differential epigenetic modifications in the FMR1 gene of the fragile X syndrome after reactivating pharmacological treatments”. European Journal of Human Genetics 13 (2005): 641-648.
6. Kumar RA., et al. “Anticancer and immunostimulatory compounds from Andrographis paniculata”. Journal of Ethnopharmacology2-3 (2004): 291-295.
7. Banerjee M., et al. “Cytotoxicity and cell cycle arrest induced by andrographolide lead to programmed cell death of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line”. Journal of Biomedical Science1 (2016): 40.
8. Moghadamtousi S Z., et al. “Annona muricata (Annonaceae): A review of its traditional uses, isolated acetogenins and biological activities”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences7 (2015): 15625-15658.
9. Coria-Téllez A V., et al. “Annona muricata: A comprehensive review on its traditional medicinal uses, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and toxicity”. Arabian Journal of Chemistry5 (2018): 662-691.
10. Yang C S., et al. “Cancer prevention by tea: Animal studies, molecular mechanisms and human relevance”. Nature Reviews Cancer6 (2009): 429-439.
11. Khan N and Mukhtar H. “Tea polyphenols in promotion of human health”. Nutrients1 (2018): 39.
12. Nobori T., et al. “Deletions of the cyclin-dependent kinase-4 inhibitor gene in multiple human cancers”. Nature6473 (1994): 753-756.
13. Van der Heijden R., et al. “The Catharanthus alkaloids: Pharmacognosy and biotechnology”. Current Medicinal Chemistry5 (2004): 607-628.
14. Aggarwal BB and Harikumar K B. “Potential therapeutic effects of curcumin, the anti-inflammatory agent, against neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases”. International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology1 (2009): 40-59.
15. Kunnumakkara A B., et al. “Curcumin mediates anticancer effects by modulating multiple cell signaling pathways”. Clinical Science15 (2017): 1781-1799.
16. Fiore C., et al. “Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice) as an anticancer agent: A review”. Phytotherapy Research2 (2008): 199-206.
17. Khan M A., et al. “Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice): A phytochemical and pharmacological review”. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry6 (2016): 1-6.
18. Ahmad A., et al. “A review on therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa: A miracle herb”. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine5 (2013): 337-352.
19. Woo C C. “Thymoquinone: Potential cure for inflammatory disorders and cancer”. Current Drug Targets6 (2012): 764-773.
20. Prakash P and Gupta, N. “Therapeutic uses of Ocimum sanctum Linn (Tulsi) with a note on eugenol and its pharmacological actions: A short review”. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology2 (2005): 125-131.
21. Hasan MR., et al. “An update on the therapeutic anticancer potential of Ocimum sanctum and its primary phytoconstituent, eugenol”. Molecules3 (2023): 1193.
22. Attele A S., et al. “Ginseng pharmacology: A review of the ginsenosides and their biological effects. American Journal of Chinese Medicine1 (1999): 1-18.
23. Kim S H., et al. “Ginsenoside Rg3 inhibits the growth of human colon cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest”. Journal of Ginseng Research2 (2013): 141-147.
24. Rajeshkumar N V., et al. “Antitumour and anticarcinogenic activity of Phyllanthus amarus extract. Journal of Ethnopharmacology1 (2002): 17-22.
25. Ahmad MS and Anwar F. “Cancer ameliorating potential of Phyllanthus amarus”. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies6 (2015): 1-5.
26. Suffness M and Wall ME. “Podophyllotoxin and related compounds”. In Natural Products as Anticancer Agents (1985): 1-34.
27. Ardalani H., et al. “Podophyllotoxin: a novel potential natural anticancer agent”. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine4 (2017): 285-294.
28. Wani M C., et al. “Plant antitumor agents. VI. The isolation and structure of taxol, a novel antileukemic and antitumor agent from Taxus brevifolia”. Journal of the American Chemical Society9 (1971): 2325-2327.
29. Kingston D G I. “Paclitaxel (Taxol): A novel antineoplastic agent”. Journal of Natural Product2 (1991): 122-137.
30. Singh B., et al. “Validation of ethnomedicinal potential of Tinospora cordifolia for anticancer and immunomodulatory activities and quantification of bioactive molecules by HPTLC”. Journal of Ethnopharmacology1 (2011): 151-159.
31. Saha S and Ghosh S. “Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles”. Ancient Science of Life4 (2012): 151-159.
32. Jayaprakash R., et al. “Antioxidant activity of ethanolic extract of Tinospora cordifolia on N-nitrosodiethylamine (diethylnitrosamine) induced liver cancer in male Wister albino rats”. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences 5 (2015): 40.
33. Widodo N., et al. “Selective killing of cancer cells by leaf extract of Ashwagandha Identification of a tumor-inhibitory factor and the first molecular insights to its effect”. Clinical Cancer Research 13 (2007): 2298-2306.
34. Kumar G., et al. “Karanjin, a promising bioactive compound possessing anti‑cancer activity against experimental model of non‑small cell lung cancer cells”. Anti‑Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 5 (2024): 317‑333.
35. Ansari K., et al. “GC‑MS profiling, anticancer and antioxidant evaluation of Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrahi (Fabaceae family) seed extract”. Trends in Phytochemical Research1 (2025): 54‑65.
36. Singh S K and Reddy S M. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 51.6 (2019): 389‑399.
37. Janthamala S., et al. “Anticancer properties and metabolomic profiling of Shorea roxburghii extracts toward gastrointestinal cancer cell lines”. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 24 (2024): 178.
38. Manojkumar S., et al. “Phytochemical Screening, In SilicoMolecular Docking, ADME Properties, and In Vitro Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antidiabetic Activity of Marine Halophyte Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort”. ACS Omega10 (2024): 11200-11216.
39. Sithole S., et al. “Phytochemical Fingerprinting and Activity of Extracts from the Leaves of Dolichos kilimandscharicus (Fabaceae) on Jurkat-T Cells”. Biomed Research International (2020): 1263702.
40. Athira R K Nair., et al. “Phytochemical investigation and cytotoxic potential of leaf extract of Medinilla C B Clarke in breast cancer cell lines”. 17.3 (2025): 260-268.
41. Reddy V R., et al. “Isolation and Characterization of Anticancer Properties of Compounds from the Leaf Extracts of Vitex Negundo”. AJC 37 (2025): 439-446.
42. Adham Foumani E., et al. “Colchicine of Colchicum autumnale, A Traditional Anti-Inflammatory Medicine, Induces Apoptosis by Activation of Apoptotic Genes and Proteins Expression in Human Breast (MCF-7) and Mouse Breast (4T1) Cell Lines”. Cell11 (2022): 647-656.
43. Sultana T., et al. “Evaluation of anti-cancer potential of Excoecaria agallocha (L.) leaf extract on human cervical cancer (SiHa) cell line and assessing the underlying mechanism of action”. Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Science3 (2022).
44. Pisanti S., et al. “Anticancer Activity and Mechanism of Action of Couroupita guianensisBark Decoction in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cancer Cell Line”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 17 (2024): 9183.
45. Nabil HB., et al. “Molecular mechanisms underlying the potential anticancer activity of Pulicaria crispahexane fraction in HCT116 cancer cells”. 3 Biotech8 (2025): 257.

Citation

Citation: Firoj A Tamboli., et al. “Exploring Bioactive Compounds in Medicinal Plants for Cancer Therapeutics". Acta Scientific Pharmaceutical Sciences 9.10 (2025): 12-16.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Firoj A Tamboli., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.