Drugs from plants pdf

Their non-toxic effects on normal cells and their cytotoxic effects on cancer cells put them in high demand. A lot of the species investigated are selected from developing countries in Africa and Asia where herbal therapies are practiced and medicinal plants are relied upon for primary treatment 1 , 4 - 8. There is a huge demand for medicinal plants in developing countries putting high pressure on the plant populations.

Many medicinal plants are cultivated from wild populations for informal trade but this cultivation is not regulated With rapid population growth, deforestation and increasing urbanisation the protection of medicinal plants is becoming an issue in need of addressing With constant increase in demand, high-value medicinal plants are threatened by extinction if over exploitation continues. Conservation of these plants is vital. When wild medicinal plants are harvested only specific parts of the plant are used in treatment such as the bark of a tree or bulbs and tubers from bulbous and tuberous plants.

Extracting only segments of a plant may damage and reduce its survival To increase the sustainability of medicinal plants in developing countries, utilization of all plant parts including the stem, leaf, root and bark should be included in the treatment.

Other methods of conservation include germplasm conservation; storing viable seeds, cryopreservation; preserving biological material in liquid nitrogen and tissue culture; propagates plants in sterile conditions and can produce mature plants clones quickly of rare species 45 - These preservation methods will also allow for industrial utilization in developed countries In developed areas such as Europe and parts of India and China some medicinal plants are being cultivated on a large scale to keep up with increasing demands for alternative natural drugs Cultivating sustainable species may release pressure on other wild species and prevent loss of plant biodiversity.

However, mass cultivation could lead to strain on land available for other resources in agriculture. Attention is being drawn towards foods with medicinal properties, such foods include cruciferous vegetables and fruit berries 21 , Raw by-products from industries could be utilized to extract anticancer agents from sources possess these agents.

In the winery industry grape stems are a raw by-product of wine making. This high organic load can be acidic to the environment surrounding the winery. However, its high polyphenolic content may make it advantageous for anticancer drug development and make a profitable scheme to solve environmental issues.

Grape stem extracts have demonstrated to have antioxidant properties, prevent DNA damage from reactive oxygen species and shown anti-carcinogenic potential against an array of cancer cell lines from cervical cancer, thyroid cancer and many more 47 - Cancer is becoming a high profile disease in developed and developing worlds.

In the WHO published that in , 7. In the United States cancer is the cause of 1 in 4 deaths and in it was estimated there were over 1. Cancer Research UK said in Therefore, the demand for a cure and the prevention of cancer is extremely high. Chemically-derived drugs have been developed and other cancer treatments pre-exist However, current methods such as chemotherapy have their limitations due to their toxic effects on non-targeted tissues furthering human health problems 1.

Therefore, there is a demand for alternative treatments with naturally-derived anticancer agents with plants being the desired source. The secondary metabolites in the plant kingdom such as polyphenols, flavonoids and brassinosteroids have been studied for their potential use as anticancer agents.

Collectively they have been shown to possess anticancer activities which include; antioxidant activity; inhibition of cancer cell growth; induction of apoptosis; target specificity; cancer cell cytotoxicity 18 - 19 , 25 , Plant-derived drugs have been developed from positive results in research and have progressed into clinical trials Table 1. Drugs derived from vinca alkaloids were some of the first compounds to be utilized and are developing in clinical Phase III trials along with Pacitaxel and other anticancer agents Table 1.

These compounds are readily available from the natural environment and are relatively non-toxic to healthy human cells. Also there are currently developments using new technologies such as nanoparticles to be used in administration of anticancer compounds and therapies. Their development could be applied to control sustained drug release and help in aims to create drugs that are tissue specific reducing severe side effects of treatments.

Increasing demand for plant-derived drugs is putting pressure on high-value medicinal plants and risking their biodiversity Increasing populations, urbanization and deforestation are contributing to species endangerment in developing countries.

To aid conservation of these species germplasm conservation, cryopreservation, tissue cultures and plant part substitution strategies need to be in place Mass cultivation of medicinal plant species and utilizing raw by-products in industries may also help with conservation 32 , Plant-derived anticancer agents are effective inhibitors of cancer cells lines 3 , making them in high demand.

Exploitation of these agents needs to be managed to keep up with demands and be sustainable. The author would like to thank the support given by the School of Science and Engineering at Teesside University and the information given during MSc Biotechnology course. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Int J Pharm Sci Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC Nov Greenwell and P. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer.

Copyright notice. See other articles in PMC that cite the published article. Abstract Globally cancer is a disease which severely effects the human population. Keywords: anticancer, secondary metabolites, polyphenols, cytotoxicity, epigenetics. Introduction Cancer has been a constant battle globally with a lot of development in cures and preventative therapies.

Epigenetic properties The step towards development of cancer involves alterations of epigenetic processes and their deregulation 9. Plant compounds with anticancer properties Medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years in folk medicines in Asian and African populations and many plants are consumed for their health benefits in developed nations.

Polyphenols Polyphenolic compounds include flavonoids, tannins, curcumin, resveratrol and gallacatechins and are all considered to be anticancer compounds Flavonoids Flavonoids are from the polyphenolic compounds and constitute a large family of plant secondary metabolites with 10, known structures Brassinosteroids Brassinosteroids BRs are naturally occurring compounds found in plants which play roles in hormone signalling to regulate growth and differentiation of cells, elongation of stem and root cells and other roles such as resistance and tolerance against disease and stress.

Anticancer plant-derived drugs Plant-derived drugs are desired for anticancer treatment as they are natural and readily available. Table 1 Plant-derived drugs in research and clinical trials. Anticancer agent Isolated or derived from: Compound activity Research and clinical development Reference Sulphoraphane Isotiocynanate in cruciferous vegetables Brassica Induces phase 2 detoxification enzymes; inhibits tumor growth in breast cancers; antiproliferate effects Clinical trials with oral administration of cruciferous vegetable preparation with sulphoraphane 28 - 29 , 52 Paclitaxel Taxol Taxane; Taxus brevifolia L Microtubule disruptor; block mitosis; induce apoptosis; microtubules are polymerized and stabilized; disruption of spindle formation; inhibition of translational machinery In clinical use; Phase I-III clinical trials; early treatment settings; non-small lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Kaposi sarcoma.

Research and development in alternative drug administration using nanoparticles, naocochealtes and nanoliposomes. Brassicaceae Inhibition of cyclin dependent kinases; reduction of cell cycle progression Phase II clinical trials in Europe 31 , 54 Flavopiridol Synthetic flavonoid derivative; rohitukine based structure; Dysoxylum binectariferum Hook.

Meliaceae Anti-inflammatory; immunamodulatory activity; tyrosine kinase activyt; growth inhibitory effects Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in solid tumors, lymphomas, leukaemias 31 , 54 , 59 Noscapine Opium poppy Papaver somniferum Antiproliferative properties; microtubule interfering; inhibits tumour growth and progression Phase I and Phase II clinical trials; limited progression due to its limited solubility; research into alternative administration of drug using analogues and nanotechnology.

Open in a separate window. Enhancing drug administration With advancements and discoveries in naturally derived drugs new technologies are emerging for the application and dosage of these anticancer compounds. Medicinal plant demands With successful clinical trials drugs being developed from plant origins are popular for clinical development.

Conclusion Cancer is becoming a high profile disease in developed and developing worlds. Acknowledgments The author would like to thank the support given by the School of Science and Engineering at Teesside University and the information given during MSc Biotechnology course.

References 1. Medicinal plants used in treatment and management of cancer in Kakamega County Kenya. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Biosynthesis and characterization of Acalypha indica mediated copper oxide nanoparticles and evaluation of its antimicrobial and anticancer activity.

Evaluation of African plants for their in vitro trypanocidal activity. Studies of the anticancer potential of plants used in Bangladeshi folk medicine. Structure-radical scavenging activity relationships of phenolic compounds from traditional Chinese medicinal plants. Life Sciences. In vitro anticancer screening of South African plants.

Antimalarial and anticancer activities of selected South African Salvia species and isolated compounds from S. South African Journal of Botany. Plant-derived epigenetic modulators for cancer treatment and prevention. Biotechnology Advances. Esteller M. Epigenetic gene silencing in cancer: the DNA hypermethylome.

Human Molecular Genetics. Chromatin-modifying agents in anti-cancer therapy. The anticancer potential of flavonoids isolated from the stem bark of Erythrina suberosa through induction of apoptosis and inhibition of STAT signalling pathway in human leukaemia HL cells. Chemico-Biological Interactions. Advances in Medicinal Plants. University Press; Hyderabad: Plant polyphenols mobilize endogenous copper in human peripheral lymphocytes leading to oxidative DNA breakage: A putative mechanism for anticancer Properties.

FEBS Letters. Assessment of polyphenolic content, antioxidant activity, protection against ROS-induced DNA damage and anticancer activity of Viti vinifera stem extracts. Food and Chemical Toxicology. Traditionally used Thai medicinal plants: In vitro anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant activities. Industrial Crops and Products. Downregulation of tumor necrosis factor and other proinflammatory biomarkers by polyphenols.

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Characterization of flavonoids from Dryopteris erythrosora and evaluation of their antioxidant, anticancer and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activities. Flavonoids as antioxidants in plants: Location and functional significance. Plant Science. Huntely AL. The health benefits of berry flavonoids for menopausal women: Cardiovascular disease, cancer and cognition.

Identification of flavonoids in litchi Litchi chinensis Soon. Journal of Functional Foods. Flavonoid concentrations and bioactivity of flavonoid extracts from 19 species of ferns from China.

Bishop GJ, Koncz C. Brassionsteroids and Plant Steroid Hormone Signaling. The Plant Cell. Anticancer and antiproliferative activity of natural brasinosteroids.

Brassinosteroids cause cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells. Mechanisms of natural brassinosteroid-induced apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. Sulforaphane induces cell type-specific apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines.

Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Preclinical and clinical evaluation of sulforaphane for chemoprevention in the breast. International Journal of Biomedical Science.

Novel anticancer agents from plant sources. Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines. Phillipson JD. Medicinal Plants. Journal of Biological Education Society of Biology ; 31 2 Jordan MA, Wilson L. Microtubules as a target for anticancer drugs.

Nature Reviews: Cancer. Role of plants in anticancer drug discovery. Phytochemistry Letters. Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity. The Scientific World Journal. Bromelain nanoparticles protect against 7,dimethylbenz[a] anthracene induced skin carcinogenesis in mouse model. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. Structural characterization, antioxidant and anticancer properties of gold nanoparticles synthesized from leaf extract decoction of Antigonon leptopus Hook.

Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials. Quercetin conjugated superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles for in-vitro analysis of breast cnacer cell line for chemotherapy applications. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. Nanocochleates derived from nanoliposomes for paclitaxel oral use: Preparation, characterization, in vivo anticancer testing, bioavailability and biodistribution study in rats.

Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. Inhalable nanostructured lipid particles of 9-bromo-noscapine, a tubulin-binding cytotoxic agent: In vitro and in vivo studies. Novel third-generation water-soluble noscapine analogs as superior microtubule-interfering agents with enhanced antiproliferative activity.

Biochemical Pharmacology. Plant part substitution — a way to conserve endangered medicinal plants? Importance of Himalayan medicinal plants and their conservation strategies. Australian Journal of Herbal Medicine. Chemoprevention of liver cancer by plant polyphenols. Anticarcinogenic activity of polyphenolic extracts from grape stems against breast, colon, renal and thyroid cancer cells. Toxicology Letters. World Health Organisation. WHO Press; Geneva: Cancer Statistics, The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Pezzuto JM. Plant-Derived Anticancer Agents. Plants as a source of anti-cancer agents. The plant-derived compounds have a long history of clinical use, better patient tolerance and acceptance. To date, 35,, plant species have been screened for their medicinal use. Plants especially those with ethnopharmacological uses have been the primary sources of medicine for early drug discovery. Current drug discovery from plants mainly relied on bioactivity—guided fractionation and led to isolation of many important anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel, camptothecin etc.

The first commercial pure natural product introduced for therapeutic use is morphine marketed by Merck in , and the first semi-synthetic pure drug aspirin, based on a natural product salicin isolated from Salix alba , was introduced by Bayer in This led to the isolation of early drugs such as cocaine, codeine, digitoxin, quinine and pilocarpine, of which some are still in use and several other recent plant derived compounds, which have undergone development and have been marketed as drugs which include Paclitaxel from Taxus brevifolia for lung, ovarian and breast cancer, Artemisinin from traditional Chinese plant Artemisia annua to combat multidrug resistant malaria, Silymarin extracted from the seeds of Silybum marianum for the treatment of liver diseases.

There is growing evidence that the old molecules are finding new applications through better understanding of molecular biology and clinical observations. For instance, the alkaloid, forskolin from Coleus forskohlii and phytochemicals from Stephania glabra , are now being rediscovered as adenylate cyclase and nitric oxide activators, which may help in preventing conditions including obesity and atherosclerosis.

During the last decade few plant derived drugs have been launched include Arteether, endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone and semisynthetic natural product derived from Artemisinin used in malarial treatment, Nitisinone derived from natural product Leptospermone Callistemon citrinus is used in treatment of antityrosinaemia, galantamine is a natural alkaloid obtained from Galanthus nivalis for Alzhemer's, apomorphine is a semisynthetic compound derived from morphine Papaver somniferum used in Parkinson's disease, Tiotropium a derivative of atropine from Atropa belladonna in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Dronabinol and Cannabidiol obtained from cannabis plant Cannabis sativa and Capsaicin active compound from Capsicum annuum are used as pain relievers.

Natural products discovered so far have played a vital role in improving the human health and have been the drugs of choice despite facing a tough competition from compounds derived from computational and combinatorial chemistry, due to their safety and efficacy.

The most striking feature of natural products in connection to their long lasting importance in drug discovery is their structural diversity that is still largely untapped. Revitalization of the natural products is bringing newer challenges with respect to quality control and standardization along with cost effectiveness.

The renewed interest in the development of natural products requires the confluence of the modern techniques and harmonization of regulations related to their research and development between various fields of science. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. J Adv Pharm Technol Res. Ciddi Veeresham. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.