What has come out from phytomedicines and herbal edibles for the treatment of cancer?

ChemMedChem. 2018 Jun 21. doi: 10.1002/cmdc.201800343. [Epub ahead of print] Bonam SR1, Wu Yuan S2, Tunki L3, Chellian R4, Halmuthur M SK5, Muller S6, Pandy V7. Author information 1 Institut de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, Immunopathology and therapeutic chemistry, Rue R. Descartes, 67000, Strasbourg, FRANCE. 2 University of Malaya, Faculty of Medicine, MALAYSIA. 3 Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, INDIA. 4 University of Malaya, MALAYSIA. 5 Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Vaccine Immunology Laboratory, INDIA. 6 UMR 7242 CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, Biotechnologie et signalisation cellulaire, FRANCE. 7 MALAYSIA. Abstract Several modern treatment strategies have been adopted to combat cancer with the aim of minimizing toxicity. Medicinal plant-based compounds with the potential to treat cancer have been widely studied in preclinical research and have elicited many innovative ways of leading-edge clinical research. In parallel, researchers have eagerly tried to reduce the toxicity of current chemotherapeutic agents either by combining them with herbals or in using herbals alone. The focus of this article is to present an update of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds, or mere changes in the bioactive compounds, and herbal edibles, which display efficacy against diverse cancer cells and in anticancer therapy. It describes the basic mechanism(s) of action of phytochemicals used either alone or in combo therapy with other phytochemicals/herbal edibles. Additionally, it also highlights the remarkable synergistic effects arising between some herbals and chemotherapeutic agents used in oncology. The anticancer phytochemicals used in clinical research are also described and further, we stated our own experience related to semi synthetic derivatives, which are developed based on the phytochemicals. Overall, this compilation aims at facilitating research and development projects on phytopharmaceuticals for successful anticancer drug discovery. KEYWORDS: anticancer; bioactive compounds; edible therapy; medicinal plants; phytochemicals