Therapeutic potential of Brazilian medicinal plants and their metabolites

Exploring natural products is essential for identifying new bioactive substances with unique molecular structures and mechanisms of action. Successful experiences in identifying and developing chemotherapeutic agents from plant-derived sources have inspired the search for new strategies and alternative treatments for various diseases. Today, more than half of the anticancer drugs in clinical use are derived, directly or indirectly, from natural products. In this review, we present findings from studies on medicinal plants conducted at the Laboratory of Mutagenesis and Oncogenetics, in collaboration with other research groups from the Program Biota/FAPESP, aimed at evaluating their safety for widespread use. Our research team has conducted extensive studies over approximately 25 years, assessing 65 crude plant extracts from 31 species and 8 isolated phytochemicals. Most of these species belong to the Melastomataceae family, followed by the Malpighiaceae family. Among the phytochemicals, flavonoids, diterpenes, indolinones, and alkaloids are the most common. In this comprehensive review, we examine the biological effects identified and their potential therapeutic applications, particularly in the context of anticancer strategies. Our goal is to highlight the pharmacological potential of compounds derived from these plants, thereby supporting the development of drugs that can be effectively utilized in clinical practice.