Preliminary study on antimitotic effects of some medicinal plants utilized for treatment of cancer according to the people's experiments

In Vietnam, some medicinal plants have been administrated for cancer treatment. But those medicinal plants have only been used based on experiences and their actual anticancer efficacy have not been proven yet. For that reason, studying to prove anticancer efficacy of those plants is very necessary. In 16 selected medicinal plants had been researched, there were 14 medicinal plants having effect on anti cellular division rate on schizogenous tissue of raphanus sativus L. higher than 50%. They were agave americana L., acanthopanax aculeatus seem, angelica decursiva (Miq) Fr.et Sav., spilanthes acmella (L.) Murr., garcinia cambodgiensis vesque, gleditsia australis hemsl, hippeastrum equestre (Ait.) herb., grium sp. (X2, X3, X4), amarathus tricolor L. and allium sativum L..

Overview of the antineoplasic agents having vegetal origin

Nature has been a source of medical treatments for thousands of years, and plant based systems continue to play an essential role in the primary health care of 80% of the world’ population. Nature has provided many of the effective anticancer agents in current use, such as the microbial derived drugs, dactinomycin, bleomycin, and doxorubicin, and the plant derived drugs vinblastine, irinotecan, topotecan, etoposide and paclitaxel. The search for novel anti-cancer from nature source continues with botanists, marine biologists and microbiologist team-ing up with chemists, pharmacologist, toxicologists and clinicans in the investigation of coral reefs, rain forests, and deep subsurface thermal vents for novel bioactive compounds. The wealth of anticancer drugs of nature origin and critical aspects of the ongoing discovery and development process are discussed.