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Review Article Anti-Ovarian Cancer Potential of Phytocompound And Am J Cancer Res 2021;11(5):1828-1844 www.ajcr.us /ISSN:2156-6976/ajcr0127404 Review Article Anti-ovarian cancer potential of phytocompound and extract from South African medicinal plants and their role in the development of chemotherapeutic agents Chella Perumal Palanisamy1, Bo Cui1, Hongxia Zhang1, Mani Panagal2, Sivagurunathan Paramasivam3, Uma Chinnaiyan3, Selvaraj Jeyaraman4, Karthigeyan Murugesan5, Mauricio Rostagno6, Vijayakumar Sekar7, Srinivasa Prabhu Natarajan8 1State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, College of Food Science and Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Science, Jinan 250353, China; 2Department of Biotechnology, Annai College of Arts and Science, Kovilacheri, Tamil Nadu, India; 3Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu, India; 4Department of Biochemistry, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; 5Department of Biotechnology, Arumugam Pillai SeethaiAmmal College, Tamil Nadu, India; 6Laboratory of Functional Properties in Foods, School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Limeria, Sao Paulo, Brazil; 7Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China; 8Department of Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu, India Received December 1, 2020; Accepted February 26, 2021; Epub May 15, 2021; Published May 30, 2021 Abstract: Ovarian cancer (OC) accounts for the highest tumor-related mortality among the gynecologic malignan- cies. Most of the OC patients diagnosed with advanced-stage (III and IV) this situation creates panic and provokes an emergency to discover a new therapeutic strategy. Plants that possess medicinal properties are gaining attention as they are enriched with various chemical compounds that are potential to treat various diseases. It is a prolonged process to provide innovative and significant leads against a range of pharmacological targets for a human disease management system. Though challenges and difficulties are faced in the development of a new drug, the emer- gence of combinatorial chemistry is providing a new ray of hope and also, the executed effort in discovering the drug, and a chemical compound has been remarkably successful. This review discussed the role of medicinal plants that are native of South Africa in treating the Ovarian Cancer and in drug discovery. Keywords: Ovarian cancer, south african medicinal plants, anti-ovarian cancer activity, drug development Introduction is an interdisciplinary action where it includes various fields of science. Novel drug discovery Plants with medicinal values have been a part is an extravagant, challenging process, it of human culture and tradition [1]. It possesses devours time as well. The important process significant nutrition and is prescribed for vari- (Figure 1) involved in identifying New Chemical ous therapeutic purposes [2]. World Health Entities (NCEs) which possess characteristic Organization (WHO) assessed that about 80% features such as effective druggability and of the population primarily rely on plant medi- medicinal chemistry [6]. NCEs are synthesized cines to stay healthy [3]. Also, 21,000 plant synthetically using chemicals or obtained from species are reported by WHO to possess to a natural process by isolation, approximately it have therapeutic values to be used as medi- would take 12 years for a new drug to reach a cines [4]. Plant chemicals are extracted and the clinic from its discovered stage, also the invest- compounds of interest are identified continu- ment done for the drug discovery is 1 billion ously till date and recently to standardize the US$ [7]. Numerous examples have proven that herbal medicines (Table 1) and to elucidate natural sources (including semi-synthetic ana- analytical marker compounds drug discovery logues) and its products have been the back- techniques are applied [5]. Discovering a drug bone of more than 80% of drug substances [8]. Anti-ovarian cancer potential of South African medicinal plants Table 1. Some of the natural compounds from the medicinal plants S. No. Plant-derived compound Classification Plant Name Biological function References 1 Aescin saponins Aesculus hippocastanum Anti-inflammatory, vasoconstrictor [113] and vasoprotective effects 2 Ajmalicine alkaloid Rauwolfia spp., Catharanthus Antihypertensive drug used in the [114] roseus, and Mitragyna speciosa treatment of high blood pressure 3 Berberine alkaloid Berberis vulgaris Treatment for bacillary dysentery [115] 4 Colchicine alkaloid colchicum autumnale Antitumor agent [116] 5 Curcumin phenols Zingiberaceae dietary supplement [117] 6 Emetine alkaloid Cephaelis ipecacuanha Amoebicide, emetic [118] 7 Hesperidin Flavonoid Citrus species Treatment for capillary fragility [119] 8 Lapachol Phenols Handroanthus impetiginosus Anticancer activity [120] 9 Nordihydroguaiaretic acid Phenols Larrea tridentata Antioxidant activity [121] 10 Quinine Alkaloid Cinchona officinalis Antimalarial drug [122] Cancer is referred to as the uncontrolled growth mechanism of action of chemotherapeutics of abnormal cells anywhere in a body that can and in the development of innovative rehabilita- infiltrate normal body tissue and it is one of the tions [10, 11]. Ovarian cancer cruelly affects leading fatal disease which leads to death the human population when compared with worldwide [9]. The different types of cancer other gynaecological malignancies in world- existence with histopathologies, genetic-epi- wide. There is an urgent need for novel thera- genetic variations, and clinical outcomes are pies to treat and prevent this life-threatening the challenges that persist in apprehending the disease. Innovative research interest is illus- 1829 Am J Cancer Res 2021;11(5):1828-1844 Anti-ovarian cancer potential of South African medicinal plants are recorded in China and some parts of Africa (four cases among a hundred thou- sand female individuals) [14]. 1 in 70 women are prone to ovarian cancer risk. 150,000 deaths are recorded globally every year due to OC and this is considered as the fatal dis- ease that leads to death when compared to other gynaeco- logical malignancies. Due to poor diagnosis attributed to lack of symptoms at the early stages, as the symptoms appear at advanced stages (III and IV) [15]. The mortality is high comparatively. Che- motherapy, laser therapy, ra- diotherapy, gene therapy, hy- perthermia, and surgery are Figure 1. Modern drug discovery and development from the medicinal plant. few interventions practised or in trials to intervene in the growth of the cancer cells trating its attention towards naturally-derived [16]. The medical aid includes a combined compounds as they are considered to have less effort of incision, chemical treatments, and toxic side effects compared to current treat- therapies which involves the action radiations ments such as chemotherapy, laser therapy, [17]. Though there are pros in the procedures radiotherapy, gene therapy, hyperthermia and mentioned earlier the scientific community rec- surgery. Plants produce secondary metabolites ognized that the interventions have disadvan- which are being investigated for their anti-ovar- tages and limitations. Consequently, a develop- ian cancer activities leading to the develop- ment of drug that is capable of overcoming the ment of new clinical drugs. Development anti- obstacles and treating the disease effectively ovarian cancer compounds from the medicinal [18]. plants have been utilized as staple drugs for treatment and prevention, the new technolo- For centuries our ancestors were using plants gies are emerging to expand the area further. to treat various human diseases and cancer is Increasing demand for plant-derived drugs is one among them [19-21]. Many medicinal putting pressure on high-value medicinal plants plants have been reported to exhibit a variety of and risking their biodiversity. Plant-derived pharmacological and actions related to life anti-ovarian cancer agents are effective inhibi- functions namely antioxidant, antimicrobial, tors of cancer cells lines, making them in high anticancer, antidiabetic properties and so on. demand [12]. Since plants acts as a store house of various phytochemicals they are capable of treating Ovarian cancer and medicinal plants various ailments. these properties exhibited by plants [22-24]. The biologically important phy- Ovarian cancer (OC) stands seventh worldwide tochemicals play a pivotal role in drug discovery among the most commonly occurring types of [25-27] and the plant-derived biomolecules are cancer. Roughly it is estimated that twenty four recognized as an attractive and promising hundred thousand females are diagnosed with approach; possess high value in biomedical the disease every year, this report depicts that research for the development of drugs against 2% of all cancer cases around the world [13]. cancer [28]. Interestingly in the recent past According to the World Cancer Research Fund decades, plant that are medicinally important International 2017, the highest incidence of OC are been used to prepare drugs and the num- occurs in Fiji (with estimated fifteen cases per bers are increasing comparatively. Inthe last hundred thousand), surprisingly very few cases twenty years a successful investigations are 1830 Am J Cancer Res 2021;11(5):1828-1844 Anti-ovarian cancer potential of South African medicinal plants done on natural products especially to treat Kwara and Lagos state, Pistia stratiotes was cancer much effectively in most parts of the cited frequently to treat
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