Table of Other Anticancer Botanicals

This list is far from comprehensive (and actually includes a couple of fungi), but it should give you a good idea of what's out there. All the compounds listed showed some kind of promise in killing cancer cells in laboratory tests. WARNING: many of the chemicals/plants listed here are deadly poisonous in even small quantities -- under no circumstances should you attempt to treat yourself or others with these compounds. Species Name Common Name Family Found in Compound (Chemical Type) (or Plant Type) Aesculus Horse chestnut Hippocastanaceae N. America, barringtogenol-C21-angelate hippocastanum (tree) (Chestnut Europe (terpenoid), /Buckeye Fam.) hippocaesculin (terpenoid) Agrostistachys n/a Euphorbiaceae India, Malaysia 14-Dehydroagrostistachin hookeri (Spurge Fam.) (terpenoid), agroskerin (terpenoid), agrostistachin (terpenoid), 17- hydroxyagrostistachin (terpenoid) Anisomeles fang feng cao Labiatae China, India anisomelic acid (terpenoid), indica (A. ovata) (flowering shrub) (Mint Fam.) ovatodiolide (terpenoid), 4,7-oxycycloanisomelic acid (terpenoid) Anopterus spp. (Evergreen Escalloniaceae Tasmania anopterine, shrub) hydroxyanopterine (alkaloids) Apocynum Indian hemp Apocynaceae all over N. cymarin (glycoside) cannabinum (small shrublike (Dogbane Fam.) America apocymarin (glycoside) flowering herb) Areca catechu betel nut (tree) Palmae SE Asia NPF- 86I polyphenols (Palm Fam.) Aristolochia wolly dutchman's Aristolochiaceae much of Eastern aristolochic acid tomentosa pipe (climbing and Central herbaceous U.S. flowering vine) Armoracia horseradish Brassicaceae Western unknown glycoside rusticana (large-rooted (Mustard Fam.) Europe, has herb) escaped cultivation in U.S. Asarum wild ginger Aristolochiaceae Eastern and aristolochic acid canadense (creeping (Birthwort Fam.) Central U.S. perennial) Baccharis (flowering herb) Compositae Brazil baccharinoids B1, B2, B3 & B7 megapotamica (Sunflower Fam.) (terpenoids) Bolbostemma tu bei mu Cucurbitaceae China tubeimoside (terpenoid) paniculatum (climbing vine) (Pumpkin Fam.) Brucea (bitter-barked Simaroubaceae Africa 1,11-dimethoxycanthin-6-one, antidysenterica tree) (Quassia Fam.) 1-hydroxy-11-methoxycanthin- 6-one, bruceanols A, B & C (terpenoids), bruceantinoside C (terpenoid), yadanzioside N (terpenoid), Brucea javanica ya dan zi, Kosam Simaroubaceae China yadanzioside O aglycone seed (bitter- (Quassia Fam.) (terpenoid), barked tree) yadanzioside N (terpenoid), yadanzioside P (terpenoid) Bryophyllum luo di shen gen -- Crassulaceae China, Taiwan bryophyllin-A (steroid) pinnatum "life plant" (Stonecrop Fam.) (succulent herb) Caltha palustris cowslip, marsh Ranunculaceae all over N. anemonin marigold (Buttercup Fam.) America protoanemonin (flowering marsh plant) Chelidonium celadine poppy Papaveraceae China berberine (alkaloid), majus (flowering herb) (Poppy Fam.) chelirubine chloride Cicuta maculata (flowering herb) Umbelliferae N. America cicutoxin (Carrot Fam.) Cocculus fang ji (woody Menispermaceae tropics sinococuline (alkaloid) trilobus climbing plant) (Curare Fam.) worldwide Combretum (tropical tree) Combretaceae S. Africa combrestatin A-1 and B-1 caffrum (Combretum Fam.) Cudrania chuan po shi Moraceae China, Hong cudraisoflavone-A cochinchinensis (tropical tree) (Fig/Mulberry Kong Fam.) Curcuma longa turmeric, jiang Zingiberaceae worldwide curcumin huang (flowering (Ginger Fam.) herb) Elephantopus elephant's foot Compositae N. America isodeoxyelephantopin carolinianus (flowering herb) (Sunflower Fam.) (terpenoid) Elephantopus hairy elephant's Compositae China, N. tomenphantopin A and B tomentosus foot, ku di dan (Sunflower Fam.) America (terpenoids) (flowering herb) Euptelea euptelea (forest Eupteleaceae Japan 3-O-acetyloleanolic acid polyandra tree) (Euptelea Fam.) (terpenoid) Fagara fagara Rutaceae Ghana dihydronitidine, macrophylla (subtropical tree) (Citrus Fam.) nitidine chloride Gelsemium American Loganiaceae N. America 12-beta-hydroxypregna-4,16- sempervirens gelsemium (Strychnine Fam.) diene 3,20-dione (steroid) (subtropical tree) Ginkgo biloba ginkgo, Ginkgoaceae China, Japan bilobol, maidenhair tree, (Ginkgo Fam.) (cultured ginkgol, bai guo worldwide) ginkgol acid (subtropical tree) Hedychium ginger lily, tu Zingiberaceae S. America, coronarins A, B, C & D coronarium qiang huo (Ginger Fam.) China (terpenoids), (flowering herb) Helenium sneezeweed (a Asteraceae thickets and helenalin (lactone) autumnale daisy-like flower) (Composite Fam.) fields across N. America Heliotropium heliotropes Boraginaceae temperate indicine, spp. (flowering herbs) (Forget-me-not regions indicine-N-oxide, Fam.) worldwide lasiocarpine Hemerocallis daylilly Liliaceae grown as an colchicine fulva (Lily family) ornamental flower in many countries Hyptis capita spikenard Labiatae China ursolic acid (terpenoid) (flowering herb) (Mint Fam.) 2-alpha-hydroxyursolic acid (terpenoid) Hyptatic acid-A (terpenoid) Inotus obliquus (wood fungus) Polyporaceae forests inotodiol (steroid) worldwide Ipomoea (flowering vine) Convolvulaceae tropics glycoside 1a bahiensis (Morning Glory Fam.) Iris Missouri Iris Iridaceae North America iso-iridogermanal (terpenoid) missouriensis (flowering herb) (Iris Fam.) zeorin (terpenoid) Juniperus Eastern red cedar Cupressaceae Eastern and podophyllotoxin virginiana (evergreen tree) (Cypress Fam.) Central N. America Justicia spp. (ornamental Acanthaceae S. America, justicidin A & B (aromatics) flowering herb) (Black-Eyed Susan China Fam.) Larrea (desert shrub) Zygophyllaceae Arizona larreantin tridentata (Lignum Vitae Fam.) Mallotus (tree) Euphorbiaceae Japan butyrylmallotochromene, japonicus (Spurge Fam.) isobutyrylmallotochromene, mallotochromanol, mallotolerin Maquira (tropical tree) Moraceae Peru maquiroside A (steroid) calophylla (Fig/Mulberry Fam.) Marchantia spp. (liverwort -- Bryophyta forests marchantin A primitive plant) (Liverwort/Moss worldwide Fam.) Maytenus spp. (tropical tree) Celastraceae Taiwan maytansine (alkaloid), (Spindle Tree maytenfoliol (terpenoid) Fam.) Pancratium (flowering herb) Amaryllidaceae Hawaii lycoricidine, margetine, littorale (Daffodil Fam.) pancratistatin (alkaloids) Paramichelia (tropical tree) Magnoliaceae Thailand bisparthenolidine, baillonii (Magnolia Fam.) liriodenine, oxoushinsunine (alkaloids) Pararistolochia (tropical vine) Aristolochiaceae Ghana aristolactam-AII flos-avis (Asarum Fam.) Periploca silk vine, xiang Asclepiadaceae China periplocoside A sepium jia pi (climbing (Milkweed Fam.) herb) Pergularia (flowering herb) Asclepiadaceae Saudi Arabia ghalakinoside (steroid) tomentosa (Milkweed Fam.) Poria cocos (wood fungus) Polyporaceae China Methyl deyhydrotumulosate, methyl tumulosate (steroids) Prunella heal-all (low Labiatae native to Europe ursolic acid vulgaris flowering (Mint Fam.) and West Asia, perennial) has escaped cult. in U.S. Psorospermum (tropical tree) Guttiferae Tanzania acetylvismiones D & F, febrifugum (Mammey Apple deoxypsorospermin, Fam.) deoxy-4'-chlorosporospermin, deoxysporospermin-3',4'-diol, vismiones C & F Psychotria Forster's Rubiaceae Vanatu, New alkaloid B, C, D and E forsteriana psychotria (Coffee Fam.) Hebrides (tropical shrub) Psychotria rubra red psychotria, Rubiaceae China, Taiwan psychorubin shan da dao (Coffee Fam.) (tropical shrub) Rhabdosia effusa (flowering herb) Labiatae effusantin A (terpenoid) (Mint Fam.) Rhabdosia (flowering herb) Labiatae China excisanin A, B (terpenoid) excisa (Mint Fam.) Rhabdosia (flowering herb) Labiatae Japan longikaurin B (terpenoid) longikaurin (Mint Fam.) Rhabdosia (flowering herb) Labiatae China sculponeatin C (terpenoid) sculponeata (Mint Fam.) Rhabdosia (flowering herb) Labiatae Japan kamebanin (terpenoid) umbrosa (Mint Fam.) kamebakaurin (terpenoid) leukamenins A & B (terpenoid) umbrosin A (terpenoid) Ricinus castor oil, bi ma Euphorbiaceae N. America, ricin A communis zi (flowering (Spurge Fam.) Europe, China herb) Sanguinaria bloodroot Papaveraceae woodlands sanguinarine (alkaloid) canadensis (flowering herb) (Poppy Fam.) throughout the Eastern and Central U.S. Schisandra (woody climbing Schisandraceae China & SE manwuweizic acid (steroid) propinqua plant) (Schisandra Fam.) Asia Simaba (bitter barked Simaroubaceae French Guiana 13,18-dehydro-6-alpha multiflora tree) (Quassia Fam.) senecioyloxychaparrin (terpenoid) Solanum bittersweet Solanaceae Europe and N. unknown alkaloid dulcamara woody (Nightshade Fam.) America nightshade (woody climbing vine) Spathelia (tropical shrub) Rutaceae Jamaica methylsorbifolin, sorbifolia (Citrus Fam.) spatheliachromen Stizophyllum (twining tree) Bignoniaceae Peru stizophyllin (steroid) riparium (Catalpa Fam.) Strebulus asper (tropical shrub) Moraceae Thailand mansonin (steroid), (Fig/Mulberry strebloside (steroid) Fam.) Strychnos (tropical shrub) Loganiaceae Central Africa akagerine, usambarensis (Strychnine Fam.) dihydrousambarensine, hydroxyusambarine, strychnopentamine, strychnophylline, usambarine, usambarensine (alkaloids) Taxus mairei yew (Evergreen Taxaceae China taxamairins A & B (terpenoids), shrub) (Yew Fam.) Thalictrum meadow-rue Ranunculaceae China, Taiwan berberine, liriodenine, sessile (flowering herb) (Buttercup Fam.) oxoushinsunine, thalicarpine (alkaloids) Tripterygium yellow vine Celastraceae China regelin (terpenoid), regelii (subtropical (Spindle Tree regelinol (terpenoid), climbing plant) Fam.) triptolide (alkaloid) Vismia spp. (tropical tree) Guttiferae Venezuela acetylvismione B, (Mammey Apple desacetylvismione A, Fam.) vismione A & B, Wikstroemia (tropical shrub) Thymelaeaceae Hawaii daphnoretin (flavan), elliptica (Daphne Fam.) lariciresinol (aromatic), methoxylariciresinol (aromatic), syringaresinol (aromatic), umbelliferone (quinone) Wisteria wisteria (viney Leguminosae Japan afromosin (flavan) brachybotrys herb) (Acacia/Pea Fam.) Yucca glauca soapweed yucca Liliaceae Western U.S. water extracts have antitumor (blue-green (Lily Fam.) and Mexico activity against B16 melanoma perennial w/ stiff, in mice swordlike leaves)

References:

Duke, James A., and Edward S. Ayensu. 1985. Medicinal Plants of China. Algonac, MI, Reference Publications, Inc.

Duke, James A., and Steven Foster. 1990. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. New York, NY, Houghton Mifflin Co.

Heywood, V.H., ed. 1993. Flowering Plants of the World. New York, NY, Oxford University Press.

Pettit, George R., Fiona Hogan Pierson, and Cherry L. Herald. 1994. Anticancer Drugs From Animals, Plants and Microorganisms. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.