Unveiling the anti-cancer potential of Melissa officinalis

Pharmacological Research - Natural Products Pub Date : 2025-09-23 DOI:10.1016/j.prenap.2025.100384

Komal Thapa , Neha Kanojia , Heena Khan , Jatin Kumar

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Abstract

Objective

The anticancer potential of Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) is evaluated in this paper, with particular attention paid to the phytochemicals luteolin, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid that are responsible for the plant's cytotoxic, pro-apoptotic, and anti-proliferative qualities.

Methodology

A thorough literature search was carried out using keywords associated with Melissa officinalis (MO) and cancer in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to evaluate studies published in English between 2010 and 2024. A total of 120 full-texts were evaluated out of the 350 records that were collected, and 85 studies were included. The experimental design, cancer models, phytochemicals examined, and molecular mechanisms of action of the chosen research were all examined.

Results

Results from both in vitro and in vivo models show that MO suppresses the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways, causes cell cycle arrest, lowers oxidative stress, and induces apoptosis (via Bax, Bcl-2, and caspases). Prostate (PC-3), colorectal (HT-29), and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells showed significant cytotoxicity, indicating that it may be used as an adjuvant in cancer treatment while additional clinical research is conducted. The anticancer potential of MO has been discussed in this review, with special emphasis on phytoconstituents such as luteolin, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid that give the plant its cytotoxic, pro-apoptotic, and anti-proliferative properties.

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揭示了茉莉的抗癌潜力

目的评价柠檬香蜂草的抗癌潜力，重点研究其具有细胞毒、促凋亡和抗增殖作用的植物化学物质木犀草素、咖啡酸和迷迭香酸。方法在PubMed、Scopus、Web of Science和谷歌Scholar中使用Melissa officinalis （MO）和cancer相关关键词进行全面的文献检索。预先确定的纳入和排除标准用于评估2010年至2024年间发表的英文研究。在收集到的350份记录中，共评估了120份全文，并纳入了85项研究。对所选研究的实验设计、癌症模型、检查的植物化学物质和作用的分子机制进行了检查。结果体外和体内模型的结果表明，MO抑制PI3K/Akt和MAPK/ERK信号通路，导致细胞周期阻滞，降低氧化应激，诱导细胞凋亡（通过Bax， Bcl-2和caspases）。前列腺（PC-3）、结直肠癌（HT-29）和乳腺癌（MCF-7）癌细胞显示出显著的细胞毒性，表明在进一步的临床研究中，它可能用作癌症治疗的辅助药物。本文讨论了MO的抗癌潜力，特别强调了植物成分，如木犀草素、咖啡酸和迷迭香酸，这些植物成分赋予了植物细胞毒性、促凋亡和抗增殖特性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Pharmacological Research - Natural Products

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