Research progress on the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine extracts-induced oxidative stress in the treatment of colorectal cancer

Many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) natural products can induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, leading to cell death. The specific mechanisms include inducing ferroptosis, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy, among other cell death pathways. Thus, increasing ROS generation in cancer cells to trigger their death is a feasible approach for treating CRC, and these TCM natural products can serve as complementary agents for CRC therapy. The mechanism of ROS-induced CRC treatment by TCM is complex, as high levels of ROS can activate multiple downstream death pathways. Researching the intricate relationships of TCM-induced oxidative stress mechanisms and the conditions triggering each pathway is the next major challenge and focus in the study of TCM’s anti-CRC effects.