Abstract: In the present article, we reviewed plants
and phytochemical compounds demonstrating beneficial effects in
pancreatic cancer to find new sources of pharmaceutical agents. For this
purpose, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google scholar were
searched for plants or herbal components with beneficial effects in the
treatment of pancreatic cancer. Data were collected up to January 2013.
The search terms were “plant,” “herb,” “herbal therapy,” or
“phytotherapy” and “pancreatic cancer” or “pancreas.” All of the human
in vivo and in vitro studies were included. According to studies, among
diverse plants and phytochemicals, 12 compounds including apigenin,
genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, benzyl
isothiocyanate, sulforaphane, curcumin, thymoquinone,
dihydroartemisinin, cucurbitacin B, and perillyl alcohol have beneficial
action against pancreatic cancer cells through 4 or more mechanisms.
Applying their plausible synergistic effects can be an imperative
approach for finding new efficient pharmacological agents in the
treatment of pancreatic cancer.
