Potential agents for cancer and obesity treatment with herbal medicines from the green garden

Abstract

Many classes of bioactive drug-like molecules derived from traditional herbal plants are becoming attractive as alternative medicines for the treatment of severe chronic diseases such as cancer and obesity. A set of chemically synthesized drugs that is capable of both inhibiting cancer growth and reducing body weight for treatment of obesity have severe side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea as well as producing increased blood pressure and headache, respectively. For decades, drug candidates from herbal plants have been considered as potential therapeutic agents because they are generally safer, less toxic, and have fewer lethal side effects than chemically synthesized or semi-synthetic drugs. Understanding the key factors affecting pharmacological effects and clinical outcomes has been a critical theme of natural product research. However, standardized sample preparation methods, well-controlled scientific studies, and validation studies are needed before herbal therapeutics can be introduced into the global market. This review will address the current advances in using traditional herbal plants, including the pharmacological effects and the challenges faced during the development of new drugs. The safety issues associated with toxicity and the effectiveness of the herbs in specific diseases such as cancer and obesity are also discussed.

Effects of herbal mixture extracts on obesity in rats fed a high-fat diet

“…Although several available antiobesity drugs, including orlistat [4], rimonabant [5], and sibutramine [6], have been approved as a therapeutic strategy to combat obesity, the potential toxicity may limit their overall usefulness [7]. Herbal medicines can be defined as raw or extracted products isolated from plants, and they are widely used for prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases, including obesity, because they have fewer side effects compared with pharmacological drugs [8]. Pericarpium citri reticulatae, also called Chenpi in Chinese, is the dried ripe fruit peel of Citrus reticulata Blanco and its cultivars [9].…”

Review Article: Herbal Approach for Obesity Management

“…Medicinal herbal supplements are being extensively utilized due to their effectiveness in managing many chronic disorders. They are cost-effective, and exert less to no toxic side-effects in comparison with many chemically synthesized drugs [15]. Accordingly, recent preliminary reports suggested that herbs with a long history of use and other natural substances less likely to produce severe toxicity might be effective in reducing appetite and promoting significant weight loss are encouraging [16].…”

Germacrone inhibits adipogenesis and stimulates lipolysis via the AMP-activated protein kinase signalling pathway in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

“…Even European marketing authorizations for phentermine–topiramate and lorcaserin were refused by The European Medicines Agency due to safety concerns . For years, drug candidates from natural herbal products have been considered as potential therapeutic agents because they are generally cost‐effective and exert little‐to‐no toxic side effects in comparison with the synthetic drugs . Several review articles suggested that traditional medicinal herbs with a long history of use along with other natural substances less likely to produce severe toxicity might reduce appetite and promote weight loss .…”

“…[22] For years, drug candidates from natural herbal products have been considered as potential therapeutic agents because they are generally cost-effective and exert little-to-no toxic side effects in comparison with the synthetic drugs. [24,25] Several review articles suggested that traditional medicinal herbs with a long history of use along with other natural substances less likely to produce severe toxicity might reduce appetite and promote weight loss. [25,26] Therefore, various extracts and compounds from natural resources are being studied to identify alternative therapeutic options for treating obesity without significant side effects.…”