Medicinal plants from Jordan in the treatment of cancer: traditional uses vs. in vitro and in vivo evaluations--part 1.

Plant species have long been used as principal ingredients in traditional medicine. Different surveys showed that ethnomedicinal plant species used by the inhabitants of Jordan for the treatment of cancer are inadequately screened for their therapeutic/chemopreventive potential and phytochemical findings. In this mini review, traditional herbal medicines pursued indigenously with their methods of preparation and active constituents are listed. Studies of random screening for selective cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity of local spices, domesticated greens, or wild plants are briefly discussed. Recommended future directives for the design and conduct of comprehensive trials are pointed out to validate the usefulness of these active plants or bioactive phytoconstituents either alone or in combination with existing therapies or complementing pharmacologies.