ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF NATURAL COMPOUNDS

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in both developed and developing countries in the world. It is an abnormal growth of cells in the body that can lead to death. The number of cases of cancer begins with mutations in DNA, which instruct the cells to grow and divide. Normal cells possess the DNA repair mechanism, but lacking this due to DNA mutations lead cells to grow and become cancerous (Hosseini, 2015). With the development of science, various treatment methods for cancer have been discovered. Among these treatment methods, chemotherapy, an accepted treatment method also carries some harmful effects. Intern, according to research diverse natural organisms including plants and microorganisms derived natural compounds have proved to be effective and safe as a treatment and management of cancer (Distefano, 2015). In the modern world most of the research work on cancer, based on plants and natural compounds derived therapeutic drugs and treatment methods. As a result, many natural compounds and their analogues have been identified as potent anti-cancer agents. Further, with emerging research and technology new anticancer properties of various natural products are being identified. Even though, there are several medicines available in the market to treat various types of cancer but no drug is found to be fully effective and safe (Salim, Chin and Kinghorn, 2008; Distefano, 2015).