Review on the Role of Plants and Microbes in Heavy Metal Detoxification as a Preventive Strategy against Cancer

The purpose of this review is to investigate the impact of heavy metals on human health and explore natural product-based therapeutic strategies, focusing on microorganisms and plants, for addressing heavy metal-related health issues. Since ancient times, cancer has been a serious threat to human health because of the unchecked growth of cells that can spread to other parts of the body. The link between exposure to heavy metals and the development of cancer has received more attention in recent years. Because of their toxicity, ecological durability, and capacity for bioaccumulation inside the human body, heavy metals are well-known environmental contaminants. Plants and their accompanying microbial communities provide an efficient, environmentally friendly method of environmental cleanup to lessen the negative impacts of heavy metal exposure and the corresponding cancer risks. This green technology acts as a natural filter by using biological processes that occur naturally to either stabilize and collect heavy metals or break down organic pollutants. Although they can be useful in certain situations, traditional physical and chemical remediation techniques are typically more expensive and less effective in places with low metal toxicity. A viable and sustainable technique for cleaning up contaminated areas is bioremediation, a biological process that uses microorganisms to break down dangerous pollutants. Similar to this, phytoremediation offers a novel method for removing, breaking down, or detoxifying heavy metals from contaminated soil and water by using hyperaccumulator plant species. Because of their affordability, environmental sustainability, and little ecological disturbance, these strategies are becoming more and more acknowledged as competitive substitutes for traditional remedial methods. This review synthesizes recent research on plant species appropriate for phytoremediation and bioremediation and integrates current knowledge. It also covers the many mechanisms that increase the efficacy of these procedures, possible tools that increase their efficiency, and the advantages and disadvantages of using them.