Therapeutic Potential of Essential Oils and Their Bioactive Compounds Against Colon Cancer: Focus on Colon-Specific Micro- and Nanocarriers

Colon cancer ranks among the most prevalent and lethal cancers worldwide. Lifestyle and dietary factors—such as high consumption of processed foods, red meat, and alcohol, coupled with sedentary behavior—are key contributors to its development. Despite the availability of standard treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, colon cancer remains a significant cause of cancer-related deaths. These conventional approaches are often limited by severe side effects, toxicity, recurrence, and the emergence of drug resistance, highlighting the urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies. Essential oils are a potential cancer-treatment candidate owing to their diverse composition and favorable safety profile. Numerous studies have revealed essential oils’ promising cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting their potential role in cancer prevention and treatment. Nevertheless, applying volatile oils to the colon faces several limitations, mainly due to their low bioavailability. Furthermore, conditions within the gastrointestinal tract also contribute to the reduced therapeutic efficacy of essential oils. Novel and promising strategies have been developed to overcome the limitations associated with the application of essential oils. The utilization of targeted drug delivery systems has improved the stability of essential oils and enhanced their therapeutic potential in colon cancer treatment. Moreover, even though essential oils cannot replace conventional chemotherapy, they can mitigate some of its adverse effects and improve the efficacy of associated chemotherapy drugs. This review explores the potential of essential oils and their bioactive compounds in colon cancer therapy and highlights current advancements in micro- and nanoencapsulation techniques for their targeted delivery to the colon.