Comparative Anticancer Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants Highlighting Their Molecular Mechanisms

Cancer is a complex disease having high mortality rates and limited effectiveness of conventional treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which have severe side effects and resistance.In search of safe and effective alternatives, interest in medicinal plants increases.Anti-cancer activities highlighting the molecular mechanisms exhibited by the medicinal plants such as Curcuma longa, Phyllanthus emblica, Moringa oleifera, Zingiber officinale, Catharanthus roseus, Artemisia annua, Nigella sativa, and Annona muricata are compared here.These medicinal plants contain many bioactive compounds (such as curcuminoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols, etc.) and show anticancer activity through various mechanisms and pathways, such as Curcuma longa, which contains a high amount of curcumin, modulating multiple signalling pathways such as NF-B, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK, which help to manage tumour progression.Phyllanthus emblica induces apoptosis, while Moringa oleifera modulates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, Zingiber officinale suppresses cancer cell proliferation and induces apoptosis, Catharanthus roseus has chemotherapeutic properties, Artemisia annua helps in cancer cell apoptosis, Nigella sativa has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms, and Annona muricata has cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.Comparison between these medicinal plants helps us to find potential applications in cancer prevention and treatments.