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Food Crops (Poaceae, Solanaceae, and Fabaceae) with Anti-Cancer Nutraceutical Prospects: A Review of Plant Extracts

Edna C Blanco-Torres1, Gildardo Rivera1, Timoteo Delgado-Maldonado1

  • 1Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Nutraceuticals from edible plants show promise as natural cancer treatments. These compounds offer a low-toxicity approach for cancer prevention and complementary therapy by engaging various cellular pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Nutritional Science
  • Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of mortality, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Natural products, particularly nutraceuticals, are gaining attention for their potential in cancer treatment due to low toxicity and multi-pathway cellular interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of nutraceuticals from edible plants for cancer prevention and complementary treatment.
  • To summarize bioactive compounds and their mechanisms of action in nutraceuticals.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on nutraceuticals from edible plants and their anti-cancer properties.
  • Analysis of reported bioactive compounds and their cellular mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Edible plant-derived nutraceuticals exhibit diverse bioactive compounds with anti-cancer potential.
  • Mechanisms include modulation of cellular pathways involved in cancer development and progression.

Conclusions:

  • Nutraceuticals represent a promising avenue for complementary cancer therapy and prevention.
  • Further research into specific compounds and mechanisms can optimize their therapeutic application.
Keywords:
anticancer drugscancercancer cellsnatural productsnutraceuticals

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