Phytochemicals from mangrove species: prospective saviour in battle against cancer?

Although mangroves have been utilised for traditional and natural remedies, their pharmacological and medicinal benefits have yet to be fully elucidated. As mangroves are exposed to challenging growing conditions, they are endowed with a profusion of phytochemicals that offer a range of therapeutic benefits. Mangroves possess an abundance of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, and numerous other active secondary metabolites, contributing to a wide array of medicinal attributes, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-tumour, and anticancer effects. Therefore, mangroves may represent a promising source of natural chemotherapeutic agents for cancer therapy. This review highlights the relationships between mangroves' bioactivity and geographical, environmental, and extraction factors, as well as the challenges that hinder their clinical translation as a potential source of pharmaceutically significant drugs.