title: Impact of natural resources and research on cancer treatment and prevention: A perspective from Cameroon.
abstract: Cancer is a significant public health concern and treatment poses a problem and is frequently unsuccessful. As such, continuous efforts in the search for new agents and therapies to improve survival are required. A considerable number of plant extracts and isolated compounds possess significant anti-proliferative or pro-apoptotic effects. The majority of biologically active compounds belong to terpenoids, phenolics and alkaloids. Terpenoid plants such asHypericum lanceolatumand a few alkaloid plants have been found to be potent anti-parasitic agents but have exhibited poor antimicrobial effects. The screening of medicinal plants for anticancer drugs has provided modern medicine with effective cytotoxic pharmaceuticals. Numerous medicinal plants have traditionally been used for the treatment of various ailments. However, a number of these medicinal plants have not been standardized and their mechanisms of actions are generally unknown. Active drug discovery research using local medicinal plants is ongoing. Some of these plant-derived compounds, including 3,39-dimethoxy-49-O-β-d-xylopyronosylellagic acid, have been tested for their potential use as anticancer agents. This review discussed the scope and possibility of natural products as anticancer remedy.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Barnabas Bessem
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Orang-Ojong
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Jose Edward
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Munyangaju
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Ma Shang
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Fan Guan
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy and Traditional Pharmacopoeia Development, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé and Faculty of Medicine University of Bamenda, Yaoundé 00237, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foukunang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Development, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300139, P.R. China ;
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
keywords: anticancer therapy; cancer; medicinal plants; natural resources; prevention; treatment