Natural Alkaloids and Mechanisms for Anti-cancer Action: A Review

Abstract

Cancer is a global public health issue. Cancer therapy has been hampered by the issue of multidrug resistance, which is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. As a result, the use of natural derived drugs for cancer prevention and therapy has been researched and developed for decades. Alkaloids are plant-derived secondary metabolites that have antiproliferative and anticancer effects on several forms of cancer. Camptothecin and vinblastine, two anticancer medicines derived from alkaloids, have been adequately developed in the past. Alkaloids, a drug lead compounds, derived from natural products, have the advantage of being used by the host, making them suitable for further exploitation. The current review looks at the anticancer potential of numerous naturally occurring alkaloids, as well as the mechanism behind their anticancer effect.