Medicinal Plants and their Compounds with Therapeutic Potential in the Treatment of Cancer: an Integrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: The epidemiological and nutritional transitions have been contributing for the exponential growth of cancer. Thus, in order to enhance the activity of antineoplastic drugs, the number of studies using medicinal plants for cancer treatment has increased. Objective: To identify medicinal plants and compounds with possible action in the cancer treatment process. Method: An integrative review was carried out. For the bibliographic search, the descriptors “neoplasms” and “medicinal plants” and the qualifier “treatment” for the word cancer were used, specifying it. The articles were surveyed in the following databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System on-line (MEDLINE) from the PubMed. Results: The search and application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in the selection of 93 articles. The main characteristics of the studies included were in vitro assays, with breast cancer cell line and published in English. It was possible to identify six compounds that stood out due to their pro-apoptotic activity in various types of cancer such as curcumin, epicatechin, lupeol, caffeic acid, ursolic acid and berberine. Conclusion: The present work offers inputs so that future studies can associate the use of compounds present in medicinal plants with conventional treatment, in order to improve the prognosis of cancer patients.