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Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants
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Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 5521

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carlos Gamarra-Luques

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Fitomedicina, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, CCT CONICET Mendoza, Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martín, Mendoza CP5500, Argentina
Interests: phytomedicine; native plants; botanicals; cancer; emerging diseases; nutraceuticals; cosmeceuticals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a major public issue and one of the top leading causes of death worldwide. This disease is characterized by an uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells and, eventually, an invasion of different tissues. The standard way to treat cancer is chemotherapy combined with surgery. However, the high cost and side effects usually represent great limitations to this approach. Considering their effectiveness, low cost and patient tolerance, the plant-derived products have demonstrated many advantages related to cancer treatment. Because of this, the study of novel phytochemical, herbal and botanical compounds represent a promising field of research.

This Special Issue of “Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants” welcomes scientific articles related to plants derived compounds activities against cancer; including cytotoxic, antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects; as well as, studies destined to evaluate the toxicity of this compounds; promoting the use of vegetal sources as economical, reliable and safe source of anticancer treatments.

Dr. Carlos Gamarra-Luques
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • medicinal plants
  • secondary metabolites
  • plant extracts
  • botanical compounds
  • herbal compounds
  • biopharmaceuticals cancer
  • metastasis cytotoxicity
  • animal toxicity

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1594 KiB  
Article
In Vitro and In Vivo Antitumor Activity of a Chloroform Partition from Ibervillea sonorae (S. Watson) GreeneEndophytic Bacillus subtilis Extracts
by Ricardo Romero-Arguelles, César Iván Romo-Sáenz, Patricia Tamez-Guerra, Diego Fonseca-Rivera, Joel H. Elizondo-Luevano, Nancy Edith Rodriguez-Garza, Orquidea Perez-Gutierrez, Celia María Quiñones-Flores, Carlos Arzate-Quintana, Lydia Paulina Loya Hernandez and Ricardo Gomez-Flores
Plants 2025, 14(10), 1474; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14101474 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
Cancer is a complex disease due to its high variability and resistance to conventional treatments. The search for new therapies has prompted the study of less invasive natural sources, such as endophytic bacteria from medicinal plants. Bacillus subtilis is known to produce bioactive [...] Read more.
Cancer is a complex disease due to its high variability and resistance to conventional treatments. The search for new therapies has prompted the study of less invasive natural sources, such as endophytic bacteria from medicinal plants. Bacillus subtilis is known to produce bioactive metabolites with promising pharmacological properties. This study evaluated the antitumor activity of the endophyte B. subtilis from Ibervillea sonorae against murine L5178Y-R lymphoma cells within in vitro and in vivo models. B. subtilis methanol extract was fractionated in hexane, chloroform, and methanol, with the chloroform partition showing the highest tumor cell growth inhibition (IC50 = 34.62 ± 0.180 µg/mL) and the highest selectivity index (SI = 15.53) when compared with the hexane and methanol partitions. The in vivo study showed that mice treated with 10 mg/kg of the chloroform partition significantly (p < 0.01) reduced the tumor volume and weight without affecting tumor-free body weight. The maximum tolerated dose test indicated that 10 mg/kg was safe and well tolerated. These results indicate that B. subtilis may be a promising source of selective antitumor compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants)
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18 pages, 2013 KiB  
Article
Tessaria absinthioides (Hook. & Arn.) DC. Determines Inhibition of Tumor Growth and Metastasis In Vitro and In Vivo in Murine Melanoma
by Lourdes Inés Pascual, Sebastián Real, Arianna Sosa-Lochedino, Fiorella Campo Verde Arbocco, María Belén Hapon and Carlos Gamarra-Luques
Plants 2025, 14(9), 1379; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14091379 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 376
Abstract
Melanoma is one of the deathliest cancers worldwide and its incidence is reaching epidemic proportions. It is characterized by intrinsic chemo-resistance, low response rates to treatment and high metastatic potential. Because of this, new therapeutic options are permanently required. Tessaria absinthioides (Hook. & [...] Read more.
Melanoma is one of the deathliest cancers worldwide and its incidence is reaching epidemic proportions. It is characterized by intrinsic chemo-resistance, low response rates to treatment and high metastatic potential. Because of this, new therapeutic options are permanently required. Tessaria absinthioides (Hook. & Arn.) DC. is a traditional medicinal plant, with antioxidant, selective cytotoxicity and anti-colorectal cancer evidence-based properties. This study aims to demonstrate the antitumoral and antimetastatic effects of T. absinthioides decoction (DETa), correlating in vitro and in vivo activities in a murine melanoma model. DETa was assayed on B16F0 murine non-metastatic cells to determine cytotoxicity and clonogenicity; while, in the B16F10 metastatic siblings, adhesion, wound healing migration and Boyden chamber invasion were studied. The ex vivo intestinal-sac model was used to quantify DETa bioavailability. Meanwhile, in C57BL6/wt mice, DETa was orally administered to evaluate its antitumoral and antimetastatic activities. DETa induced cytotoxicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, affecting the long-term clonogenic survival, as well as the processes of adhesion and migration. Then, the intestinal absorption of DETa phenolics was proven, while the systemic anti-tumoral and anti-metastatic activities of DETa were confirmed. Results demonstrated that DETa has antimelanoma activity promoting this botanical compound as a relevant agent for cancer research and treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants)
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16 pages, 3554 KiB  
Article
Inhibition of Kinase Activity and In Vitro Downregulation of the Protein Kinases in Lung Cancer and Cervical Cancer Cell Lines and the Identified Known Anticancer Compounds of Ziziphus mucronata
by Themba Sambo, Emelinah Mathe, Leswheni Shai, Sipho Mapfumari and Stanley Gololo
Plants 2025, 14(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030395 - 28 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1631
Abstract
Plants have long been used as sources of natural compounds with therapeutic benefits, providing molecules capable of inhibiting multiple kinases. Many medicinal plants are recognized for their anticancer properties and may offer ways to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatments. In [...] Read more.
Plants have long been used as sources of natural compounds with therapeutic benefits, providing molecules capable of inhibiting multiple kinases. Many medicinal plants are recognized for their anticancer properties and may offer ways to mitigate the adverse effects of conventional cancer treatments. In this study, the potential of Ziziphus mucronata methanol extract as a kinase inhibitor was assessed using the MTT assay, a universal kinase assay, and a human phosphokinase antibody array, along with a GC-MS analysis of volatile anticancer compounds. The MTT assay revealed strong cytotoxicity in A549 cells, with an IC50 of 31.25 µg/mL, while HeLa cells showed weaker cytotoxicity with an IC50 of 125 µg/mL. In comparison, paclitaxel exhibited potent inhibitory effects on A549 cells (IC50 of 31.25 µg/mL) and moderate inhibition on HeLa cells (IC50 of 65 µg/mL). Enzyme activity, measured by ADP production in the ADP-Glo assay, indicated that the extract inhibited protein kinase activity in both A549 and HeLa cells after 24 h of treatment. Additionally, the human phosphokinase antibody array, which includes 44 pre-spotted kinases, showed that the extract downregulated multiple phosphorylated kinases in both cell lines. Some of the affected kinases, such as TOR, Fyn, HcK, Fgr, STAT5b, PLC-γ1, p38α, ERK1/2, AMPKA, Akt1/2, GSK-3α/β, MSK1/2, CREB, RSK1/2/3, PLC-γ1, and STAT5a are critical regulators of various cellular processes, including apoptosis, differentiation, and proliferation. The findings of this study suggest that extract from Z. mucronata may have the capacity to regulate protein kinase activity, highlighting their significant potential as growth inhibitors for cancer cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants)
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14 pages, 2665 KiB  
Article
Isolation of Lessertiosides A and B and Other Metabolites from Lessertia frutescens and Their Neuroprotection Activity
by Kadidiatou O. Ndjoubi, Sylvester I. Omoruyi, Robert C. Luckay and Ahmed A. Hussein
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3076; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213076 - 1 Nov 2024
Viewed by 985
Abstract
Lessertia frutescens (synonym Sutherlandia frutescens) is an important South African medicinal plant used traditionally to treat different human pathologies and is considered an adaptogenic plant. This study sought to isolate compounds from the plant and determine their protective potentials using SH-SY5Y cells [...] Read more.
Lessertia frutescens (synonym Sutherlandia frutescens) is an important South African medicinal plant used traditionally to treat different human pathologies and is considered an adaptogenic plant. This study sought to isolate compounds from the plant and determine their protective potentials using SH-SY5Y cells and MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium) to mimic Parkinson’s disease. The phytochemical analysis of a 70% aqueous methanolic extract of L. frutescens leaves resulted in the isolation and identification of 11 pure compounds (1–11), among which compounds 1 and 2 were identified as new metabolites. The new compounds were characterised using IR, UV, NMR, and HRESIMS and were given the trivial names lessertiosides A (1) and B (2). Additionally, the flavonoids 8-methoxyvestitol (7) and mucronulatol (8) were isolated for the first time from the plant. The biological actions show that the isolated compounds had negligible toxicity on SH-SY5Y cells and improved cell viability in the cells exposed to MPP+. Furthermore, as a mechanism of action, the compounds could sustain cellular ATP generation and prevent MPP+-induced apoptotic cell death. Our findings provide evidence for the neuroprotective properties of compounds isolated from L. frutescens in MPP+-induced neuronal damage for the first time and create an avenue for these compounds to be further investigated to elucidate their molecular targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants)
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18 pages, 2059 KiB  
Article
Myrciaria jaboticaba Fruit Peel: Bioactive Composition as Determined by Distinct Harvest Seasons and In Vitro Anti-Cancer Activity
by Roberto de Paula do Nascimento, Julia Soto Rizzato, Gabriele Polezi, Hatim Boughanem, Non Gwenllian Williams, Renata Galhardo Borguini, Manuela Cristina Pessanha de Araujo Santiago, Mario Roberto Marostica Junior and Lee Parry
Plants 2024, 13(20), 2907; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13202907 - 17 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1546
Abstract
Jaboticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) is a recognizable and unique crop from Brazil. The fruit’s byproducts are currently being studied, given their bioactive composition and promising anti-cancer potential. It is not evident, however, if different harvesting seasons can modify the chemical profile and [...] Read more.
Jaboticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba) is a recognizable and unique crop from Brazil. The fruit’s byproducts are currently being studied, given their bioactive composition and promising anti-cancer potential. It is not evident, however, if different harvesting seasons can modify the chemical profile and antioxidant capacity of jaboticaba fruit fractions. Furthermore, as there is limited data for jaboticaba’s anti-proliferative effects, additional assessments are required to improve the robustness of these findings. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the composition of the peel of jaboticaba collected in two periods (May—off-season, sample 1—and August–October—peak season, sample 2) and test the peel’s richest anthocyanin sample against colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. To accomplish this, proximate, spectrophotometric, and chromatographic analyses were performed in two freeze-dried samples; and anti-proliferative and/or colony-forming assays were carried out in Caco-2, HT29, and HT29-MTX cells. As a result, sample 2 showed the highest levels of polyphenols overall, including flavonoids and anthocyanins. This sample displayed significative higher contents of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (48%) and delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (105%), in addition to a superior antioxidant capacity (23% higher). Sample 1 showed higher amounts of total protein, gallic acid (20% higher), and specific carotenoids. An aqueous extract from sample 2 was tested against CRC, showing anti-proliferative effects for Caco-2 cells at 1 and 2 mg/mL concentrations, with IC50 values of 1.2–1.3 mg/mL. Additionally, the extract was able to inhibit cell colony formation when tested at both low and high concentrations. In conclusion, jaboticaba collected in the main season stands out regarding its polyphenol composition and holds potential against cancer cell growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxicity and Anticancer Activities of Natural Products from Plants)
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