Home›Oncology› Bioactive compounds from aromatic plants show potent cytotoxic activities in various preclinical cancer models
Bioactive compounds from aromatic plants show potent cytotoxic activities in various preclinical cancer modelsAromatic plants may contain compounds that fight cancer cells
Frontiers in MedicinePublished August 29, 2026DOI ↗Editorial oversight: Dr. Julia Lee, PhD · Oncology, Genomics & Drug Development
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Key Takeaway
Note that while aromatic plant compounds show promise in preclinical cancer models, clinical evidence is currently lacking.
This systematic review evaluates the anticancer potential of bioactive compounds derived from underexplored aromatic plants. The scope includes various phytochemicals such as monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, steroid compounds, and phenylpropanoids. Specific compounds, including epunctanone, PCPT-1, aspiletrein A, paeoniflorigenone, 7,8-epoxynagilactone, compound 5o, and phorbol ester derivatives, were identified as having potent cytotoxic activities in multiple cancer models.
The authors synthesize evidence regarding the ability of these compounds to induce apoptosis, block cell-cycle progression, modulate oxidative stress, and inhibit angiogenesis and metastasis. Additionally, these compounds were shown to regulate key kinase signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, STAT3, EGFR, and NF-kappaB.
Several limitations are noted, including a lack of convincing evidence from high-quality human clinical trials, issues with phytochemical standardization, and limited pharmacokinetic and toxicological data. Furthermore, there is insufficient in vitro validation and a general lack of clinical studies. While these aromatic plants are a promising source for cancer therapy in preclinical research, the results are currently limited to preclinical models and do not support clinical use at this time.
How this fits prior evidence
This review extends the understanding of how phytochemicals influence cancer-associated signaling and metabolism. It specifically builds upon the finding that phytochemicals may modulate miRNA-mediated networks to influence metabolism and cancer signaling. While the current review confirms the potent cytotoxic activity of specific compounds like monoterpenes and flavonoids in preclinical models, it highlights a gap in clinical evidence compared to the broader potential of natural metabolites to modulate biological functions.
Scientists are looking closely at aromatic plants to find new ways to fight cancer. These plants contain complex natural chemicals, such as flavonoids and terpenoids, which have shown the ability to kill cancer cells and stop them from spreading in laboratory models.
These specific compounds work in several ways. They can trigger cell death in tumors, block the cell cycle, and slow down the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors. They also appear to interfere with certain signaling pathways that cancer cells use to grow and survive.
While these results are promising in the lab, it is important to remember that this research is currently in the early stages. There is no evidence yet from human clinical trials to show if these compounds are safe or effective for people. Researchers also face challenges with standardizing these plant extracts and gathering more data on how they behave in the human body.
What this means for you:
Certain plant compounds show promise in lab tests against cancer, but human clinical trials are still needed.
Common questions
What specific compounds in these plants show promise?
The study identifies several types of phytochemicals, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and steroid compounds. Specific compounds like epunctanone, PCPT-1, and paeoniflorigenone also showed potent activity against cancer models in laboratory tests.
How do these plant compounds work against cancer?
In laboratory models, these compounds showed several effects. They can trigger cell death, block the cell cycle, and manage oxidative stress. They also appear to block the growth of new blood vessels and interfere with signaling pathways that help cancer grow and spread.
Can these plants be used as a treatment for cancer today?
No, there is currently no convincing evidence from high-quality human clinical trials to support using these compounds as a treatment. The research is currently limited to preclinical studies, and more data is needed regarding their safety and how they work in the human body.
IntroductionCancer continues to cause a high degree of morbidity and mortality worldwide, making it essential for new, safer, and more effective therapies to be developed. Aromatic plants provide researchers with diverse secondary metabolites that may have useful pharmacological effects. This systematic review examines several aromatic plants that were used medicinally in the past but have not been examined recently for their potential to produce new bioactive molecules with anticancer activity.MethodsThe protocol for this systematic review followed PRISMA 2020, and it aimed to assess the anticancer potential of bioactive compounds obtained from underexplored aromatic plants. Peer-reviewed articles reporting phytochemical isolation, structural characterization, biological evaluation, and mechanistic investigations were systematically retrieved and analyzed. Data on plant species, bioactive compounds, identification methods, cancer models, molecular targets, pharmacological activities, and translational evidence were extracted and synthesized.ResultsIn this review, a variety of phytochemicals that exhibit strong anticancer effects were identified, including the following: monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, steroid compounds and phenylpropanoids. In addition to the existing identified compounds, several new phytochemicals, named epunctanone, PCPT-1, aspiletrein A, paeoniflorigenone, 7,8-epoxynagilactone, compound 5o, and new derivatives of phorbol esters, demonstrated powerful cytotoxic activities in many cancer models. The mechanism by which these phytochemicals exert their anticancer effect has been studied, and several pathways identified including: induction of apoptosis, blockage of cell-cycle progression, modulation of oxidative stress, inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis, as well as regulation of various critical kinase signaling pathways (e.g. PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, STAT3, EGFR, NF-κB).ConclusionUnderexplored aromatic plants are a promising source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds with encouraging anticancer activity in preclinical studies. However, there is no convincing evidence from high-quality human clinical trials that essential oils or their constituents can directly treat or cure cancer. Further rigorous preclinical and clinical studies are needed to establish their safety and therapeutic efficacy. Challenges including phytochemical standardization, limited pharmacokinetic and toxicological data, insufficient in vitro validation, and lack of clinical studies continue to obstruct translational progress. Future research integrating advanced phytochemical characterization, molecular oncology, AI-assisted drug discovery, and nanotechnology-based delivery systems may facilitate the development of aromatic plant-derived anticancer therapeutics.
