Potential of herbal medicines in cancer therapy

Abstract

Herbal medicines have long been used for traditional treatment of diseases. Our ancestors used plants empirically as treatment and for the maintenance of health inherited from generation to generation. At present, most of the research and development of drugs is still focused on a single compound as the main compound against the treatment target. It is difficult to get a single compound chemical with high selectivity and potential but low toxicity to the target of the disease. Empiric treatment with medicinal plants is particularly a concern in cancer treatment, where treatment is currently done with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. The active compound of herbal plants is one alternative in searching for a new anti-cancer because it is believed to have minimal side effects. Therefore, the design and development of anti-cancer drug candidate from herbal plants are increasingly in demand.