Anticancer Properties of Essential Oils and Other Natural Products

Abstract

Essential oils are secondary metabolites with a key-role in plants protection, consisting primarily of terpenes with a volatile nature and a diverse array of chemical structures. Essential oils exhibit a wide range of bioactivities, especially antimicrobial activity, and have long been utilized for treating various human ailments and diseases. Cancer cell prevention and cytotoxicity are exhibited through a wide range of mechanisms of action, with more recent research focusing on synergistic and antagonistic activity between specific essential oils major and minor components. Essential oils have been shown to possess cancer cell targeting activity and are able to increase the efficacy of commonly used chemotherapy drugs including paclitaxel and docetaxel, having also shown proimmune functions when administered to the cancer patient. The present review represents a state-of-the-art review of the research behind the application of EOs as anticancer agents both in vitro and in vivo. Cancer cell target specificity and the use of EOs in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic strategies are also explored.

Screening of antimicrobial activity of citrus essential oils against pathogenic bacteria and Candida strains

“…In addition, studies on the effects of EOs against a wide range of microorganisms including pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria are recently intensified because they are natural extracts that are not toxic at low concentrations for food production and their use as antioxidant antiviral and anticancer was also explored …”

“…that are not toxic at low concentrations for food production 5 and their use as antioxidant antiviral and anticancer was also explored. 6 The genus Citrus, belonging to the Rutaceae family, comprises of about 1,300 species. Citrus peel essential oils are reported to be one of the richest sources of bioactive compounds namely coumarins, flavonoids, carotenes, terpenes and linalool etc.…”

In vitro antiproliferative activity of Melissa officinalis L (Lamiaceae) leaves essential oil

“…EOs, secondary metabolites of plants are mixtures of small molecular chemical compounds, mainly terpenes and phenols, with biological action. Essential oils are proved to have various pharmacological effects, such as spasmolytic, carminative, hepatoprotective, antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic effects (Blowman et al, 2018). EOs have been shown to possess anticancer properties through various mechanisms, including antimutagenic, antiproliferative, antioxidant, and detoxifying capabilities acting on various pathways in the cancer cell as well as cancer preventative capabilities (Edris, 2007).…”

Podophyllotoxin Isolated from Podophyllum peltatum Induces G2/M Phase Arrest and Mitochondrial-Mediated Apoptosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

“…Natural products, such as plant extracts or isolates, show the benefits of less toxicity and low cost and also demonstrate anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties [4][5][6]. Podophyllotoxin (PT) has been used as an herbal drug in traditional folk remedies for preventive and therapeutic applications for more than 1000 years.…”