Pharmacological mechanisms and pharmacokinetic analysis of anti-tumor components in Chinese herbal medicine

Tumors continue to pose a significant threat to human health and quality of life, underscoring the need for more affordable, safer, and more effective treatment options. In recent years, Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has garnered significant attention from researchers and the pharmaceutical industry due to its advantages, including multi-target effects, mild adverse reactions, low cost, and abundant resources for tumor treatment. Moreover, the combination of CHM with chemotherapy agents holds promise for overcoming drug resistance and alleviating the adverse effects associated with conventional treatments. This review systematically examines the academic literature documenting the anti-tumor activity of CHM. It summarizes the key medicinal components exhibiting anti-tumor activity in these CHM, elucidates their pharmacological mechanisms and pharmacokinetic characteristics, and provides a critical evaluation of the current challenges and future research directions within this field. The findings may serve as a critical reference for identifying anti-tumor bioactive compounds within CHM and for developing novel anti-tumor agents.