Dual therapeutic potential of plant-derived compounds: From glucose homeostasis to tumor inhibition

Plants are an abundant reservoir of bioactive compounds that play a vital role in disease prevention and promoting human health. Recent research highlights the therapeutic potential of plant-derived compounds in controlling chronic diseases, particularly metabolic and oncological disorders. Diverse groups of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, alkaloids, phenolic terpenes, and polysaccharides, exhibit noteworthy anticancer, antioxidant, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. The mechanisms of these bioactive compounds involve modulating insulin sensitivity, inhibiting α-glucosidase, activating AMPK and PPARγ, and suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory signalling through their antioxidant potential. Moreover, these compounds also regulate various cell death pathways/apoptosis to reduce the probability of cancer cell survival in humans. Emerging evidence highlights mechanistic overlaps between diabetes and cancer, in which chronic hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation converge, enabling plant-derived molecules to exert pleiotropic effects. Representative compounds such as trigonelline (TRG), diosgenin (DSG), quercetin, withaferin A, vinblastine, vincristine, carvacrol, eugenol, and many others demonstrate substantial potential as multi-target therapeutic agents. This review summarizes recent advances in phytochemical-based research on antidiabetic and anticancer therapies, emphasizing molecular mechanisms, pharmacological evidence, the extraction and nanoformulation of bioactive compounds to ensure constant delivery, and future endeavors to develope integrated plant-derived therapeutics for metabolic and oncological disorders.