Antioxidants in Traditional Mexican Medicine and Their Applications as Antitumor Treatments

Abstract

Traditional medicine in Latin America and mainly in Mexico represents an essential alternative for treating different diseases. The use of plants as medicine is the product of a rich cultural tradition of the indigenous peoples, in which a great variety of species are used for the treatment of gastrointestinal, respiratory, and mental diseases and some other sicknesses; the therapeutic efficacy that they possess is due to the properties that derive from the active ingredients of plants principally antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenes, and tannins. An antioxidant is a substance that, at low concentrations, delays or prevents substrate oxidation through the exchange of electrons. Different methods are used to determine the antioxidant activity and the most commonly used are described in the review. Cancer is a disease in which some cells multiply uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body, a process known as metastasis. These cells can lead to the formation of tumors, which are lumps of tissue that can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign). Generally, the treatment of this disease consists of surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy, which have side effects that decrease the quality of life of patients, so new treatments, focusing on natural resources such as plants, can be developed. This review aims to gather scientific evidence on the antioxidant compounds present in plants used in traditional Mexican medicine, specifically as antitumor treatment in the most common cancer types worldwide (e.g., breast, liver, and colorectal cancer).

Optimization of the pulsed vacuum drying process of green walnut husk through temperature adaptive regulation

“…These findings align with the results reported by . Soto et al (2023) concluded that active plant components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, and tannins exhibit antioxidant properties. Moreover, Wu et al (2020) confirmed the strong antioxidant capacity of naphthoquinone compounds.…”

Ramon Flour (Brosimum alicastrum Swartz) Ameliorates Hepatic Lipid Accumulation, Induction of AMPK Phosphorylation, and Expression of the Hepatic Antioxidant System in a High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity Mouse Model

“…Currently, there is a trend to promote the consumption of traditional foods due to their beneficial effects, which could potentially improve health. However, knowledge of the benefits is often based on observational studies and physiological arguments [8][9][10]. Among traditional Mexican foods is the flour obtained from Ramon seed, which is known as Maya nut.…”

Antioxidant Potential and Known Secondary Metabolites of Rare or Underutilized Plants of Yucatan Region

“…Some trees were also utilized for construction purposes and herbal medicine. In the past year, there has been a screening of the antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties of underutilized Mexican plants; however, a limited description of the antioxidant compositions of these plant extracts was provided [8,9]. Interest in the antioxidant properties of plants has gained significant momentum in scientific research, owing to the growing awareness of the harmful effects of the free radicals and oxidative stress on human health.…”

“…Interest in the antioxidant properties of plants has gained significant momentum in scientific research, owing to the growing awareness of the harmful effects of the free radicals and oxidative stress on human health. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to inflammation, thereby underpinning the development of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders [8,9].…”