Malaysian herbs as potential natural resources of anticancer drugs: From folklore to discovery

Cancer is a complex disease and ranks as leading cause of death globally. Despite many advances made in cancer therapeutics, adverse side effects treatment resistance remain great problem. In that sense, there are increasing demands to discover new anticancer agents from naturally-derived compounds. Medicinal plants represent valuable source drugs with promising efficacy safety. They produce various secondary metabolites, which exhibit unique structures pharmacological spectrum activity, including antitumour activity. Clinacanthus nutans, Strobilanthes crispus, Ficus deltoidea, Curcuma longa, Centella asiatica Piper betle among the species commonly used cure traditional medicine formulae Malaysia. The present review aims highlight properties listed Malaysian herbs focus on their bioactive compounds mode action. Overall, studies have disclosed presence active metabolites these plants, phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponin, curcumin Asiatic acid. possess significant cytotoxic or antiproliferative primarily via induction apoptosis, elevation antioxidant activity inhibition activating enzymes. Hence, further investigation into clinical therapeutic potential may be noteworthy. Additionally, this article also provides reader information concerning conventional limitations, recent developments milestones achieved plant- derived therapeutics well different approaches enhance production molecules.