A Review on the Anticancer Properties of Selected Edible Fruits

Cancer continues to pose a formidable global health challenge, primarily driven by oxidative damage, chronic inflammation, and disruption of molecular signalling pathways. The limitations of current therapeutic approaches, including off-target toxicity and resistance, have spurred growing interest in bioactive compounds from natural sources, particularly edible fruits, for their potential in cancer prevention and intervention. This review examines the anticancer attributes of specific fruits; dragon fruit, guava, annona, wild cucumber, papaya, mangosteen, and cherry, highlighting their rich phytochemical profiles and multifaceted mechanisms of action. These fruits are abundant in bioactive constituents such as flavonoids, carotenoids, xanthones, acetogenins, and enzymatic antioxidants. Their mechanisms include scavenging reactive oxygen species, inducing apoptosis, suppressing metastasis, arresting the cell cycle, and modulating inflammatory mediators. This review shows that acetogenins of Annona muricata exerts mitochondrial inhibition; lycopene of papaya and guava exhibit antiproliferative effects; and anthocyanins of cherries exhibit antioxidant activity. Wild cucumber supports detoxification and enhances antioxidant responses, reinforcing its protective role. The review was conducted through an extensive literature search across databases like PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Although preclinical data are encouraging, translational hurdles such as standardisation and clinical validation remain. Further integrative research is essential to realise the full therapeutic potential of fruit-derived phytochemicals in oncology.