Anticancer and multidrug-resistance reversing potential of traditional medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds in leukemia cell lines

Chin J Nat Med. 2014 Dec;12(12):881-94. doi: 10.1016/S1875-5364(14)60131-X.

Abstract

Multidrug resistance remains a serious clinical problem in the successful therapy of malignant diseases. It occurs in cultured tumor cell lines, as well as in human cancers. Therefore, it is critical to develop novel anticancer drugs with multidrug-resistance modulating potential to increase the survival rate of leukemia patients. Plant-derived natural products have been used for the treatment of various diseases for thousands of years. This review summarizes the anticancer and multidrug-resistance reversing properties of the extracts and bioactive compounds from traditional medicinal plants in different leukemia cell lines. Further mechanistic studies will pave the road to establish the anticancer potential of plant-derived natural compounds.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Leukemia; Multidrug resistance (MDR); Reversal multidrug resistance; Traditional medicinal plants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / drug therapy*
  • Magnoliopsida / chemistry*
  • Phytotherapy*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use*
  • Plants, Medicinal / chemistry*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Plant Extracts