Herbal Drugs Inducing Autophagy for the Management of Cancer: Mechanism and Utilization

Abstract

Abstract: When compared to chemical medicines, herbal medicines have the greatest therapeutic benefit while having fewer harmful side effects. Many different components in herbs have an anticancer impact, but the exact mechanism of how they work is unknown. Some herbal medicines have even been shown to trigger autophagy, a process that has shown promise as a potential cancer treatment. In the past ten years, autophagy has come to be recognised as a crucial mechanism in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, which has led to the discovery of its implications in the pathology of the majority of cellular environments as well as human disorders. Autophagy is a catabolic process that is used by cells to maintain their homeostasis. This process involves the degradation of misfolded, damaged, and excessive proteins, as well as nonfunctional organelles, foreign pathogens, and other cellular components. Autophagy is a highly conserved process. In this review article, several naturally occurring chemicals are discussed. These compounds offer excellent prospects for autophagy inducers, which are substances that can hasten the death of cells when used as a complementary or alternative treatment for cancer. It requires additional exploration in preclinical and clinical investigations, notwithstanding recent advances in therapeutic medications or agents of natural products in numerous cancers. These advancements have been made despite the need for further investigation.