Herbs to support cancer care: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Natural products from plants serve as most promising source of potential drug leads [1]. Estimation of the world’s diversity for potential biological aspect is less than 10, a myriad of applicable natural lead compounds await discovery [2]. In addition to most popular Indian system of medicine Ayurveda (herbs were major medicines uses), which is 5000 year old (Approx. 3000 BC), there are several reports from other parts of the world. The ancient records of natural products from Mesopotamia (2600 B.C.) were delineated on clay tablets in cuneiform which documented oils from Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) and Commiphora species (Myrrh) which are being used till date to treat coughs, colds and inflammation. An Egyptian pharmaceutical record, The Ebers Papyrus (2900 B.C.) has documented over 700 plant-based drugs ranging from gargles, pills, infusions, to ointments. Arabs were the first people to own private pharmacies (8th century) with Avicenna, a Persian pharmacist, physician, philosopher and poet, volunteering much to pharmacy and medicine through works such as the Canon Medicinae [3]. This speaks about application of herbs as medicine globally from ancient period. Application of natural products as medicines has been portrayed throughout history in the form of traditional medicines, remedies, potions and oils. The utility and knowledge of natural product from medicinal plants results from the experimentation by man for hundreds of centuries through palatability trials or the occurrence of untimely deaths, quest for available herbs for the treatment of diseases [4].