Alkaloids as potential anticancer agent

Abstract

Cancer is a disease in which the body’s cells proliferate uncontrollably. With major advances in cancer therapy over the last several decades, it remains one of the top causes of death worldwide, killing 9.6 million people each year. Intake of dietary phytochemicals present in plant-based foods has been shown to reduce cancer incidence in epidemiological studies. Majority of malignancies can be averted, treated, or delayed, according to research. Alkaloids are among the most important active components in natural herbs, and some of these compounds have already been successfully developed into chemotherapeutic drugs, such as camptothecin and vinblastine. Most of the alkaloids are from different families, and the biosynthesis of these compounds is also varied. These phytochemicals frequently function by altering molecular pathways involved in cancer growth and progression. Various natural phytochemicals and dietary compounds may significantly alter signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis in transformed cells, strengthen the host immune system, and sensitize malignant cells to cytotoxic agents, according to epidemiological data. Phytochemicals’ anticancer effects are also focused on cancer stem cells (CSCs). Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a sort of cancer cell that has abnormal self-renewal, proliferation, or apoptosis control, which leads to cancer growth, metastasis formation, and therapeutic resistance. The development of alkaloids into new anticancer agents has a bright future. This chapter will scrutinize the applications and recent progress of several typical alkaloids with anticancer activities. We will also summarize and investigate the mechanisms of action of some compounds to accelerate the discovery of anticancer drugs derived from alkaloids.