Studies that examined the therapeutic potential of plants leaf extracts Plant Scientific Name Common Name Type of extraction Proposed active material 1. Solanum viarum Tropical Soda Apple Ether Solasodine glycoalkaloid 2. Acanthus illicifolious Harkucha Kanta Methanol Triterpenoids,Flavonoids, Alkaloids 3. Annona squamosa Custard Apple Ethyl acetate Acetogenins,Alkaloids, Dofamine 4 Alstonia scholaris. Chatium Methanol Alkaloids,Flavonoids 5. Calotropis gigantea Akanda Ethanol Triterpenoids,Flavonol Glycosides

1. Anti Cancer activity of
Medicinal Plants
Thesis-Part-1
• Presentation
• Prepared by Sk Abu Raihan Abdullah
• MBT,3rd Sem,NITMAS

2. What is Medicinal plant ?
Medicinal plants are plants that have a
recognized medical use.
Medicinal plants refer to using a plant’s
seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or
flowers for medicinal purposes.

3. Their use ranges the production of
mainstream pharmaceutical products to
herbal medicine preparations.
Herbal medicine is one of the oldest
forms of medical treatment in human
history and could be considered one of
the forerunners of the modern
pharmaceutical trade.

4. Medicinal plants contain active chemical
constituents in any of their parts like root,
stem, leaves, bark, fruit and seeds which
produce a definite curing physiological
response in the treatment of various
ailments in human and other animals.
Medicinal plants are primary source of
health care throughout the world for
thousand of years.

5. Why Medicinal Plants use
for Cancer Treatment
All over the world cancer is one of the
most serious health problems that affect
the duration and quality of the individuals’
life.
As the conventional therapeutic strategies
fail to full fill the major requirements for a
successful cancer therapy. The use of
naturally developed anticancer agents has
evolved as an alternative safe, low-cost and
convenient one.

6. Therefore, the use of plant extracts
with potential anticancer therapeutic
effects might be particularly
significant.
A lot of medicinal plants, traditionally
used for thousands of years, are present
in a group of herbal preparations of the
Indian traditional health care system
(Ayurveda) named Rasayana proposed
for their interesting antioxidant and anti
cancer activities.

7. The therapeutic potential of plants leaf extract
Plant Scientific Name Type of extraction Proposed active material
1. Solanum viarum Ether Solasodine glycoalkaloid
(Tropical Soda Apple)
2. Acanthus illicifolious Methanol Triterpenoids,Flavonoids,
(Harkucha Kanta) Alkaloids
3. Annona squamosa Ethyl acetate Acetogenins,Alkaloids,
(Custard Apple) Dofamine
4 Alstonia scholaris Methanol Alkaloids,Flavonoids
(Chatium)
5. Calotropis gigantea Ethanol Triterpenoids,Flavonol
(Akanda) Glycosides

8. Solanum viarum Dunal, belongs to
the family Solanaceae, commonly
called Tropical Soda Apple (TSA) is
a shallow rooted, profusely
branched, perennial shrub. It is
native plant of Argentina and
central Brazil and has been
naturalized in many parts of the
world including India.
Solanum viarum

9. Solasodine is a major glycoalkaloid constituent
of this plant. Solasodine extracted from this
plant is used treat cancer (Trouillas et al.,
2005), leukemia (Blood cancer), as a steroid
precursor to produce contraceptive pills
(Everist, 1981), Addison's disease, rheumatic
arthritis, chronic asthma, obesity, palsy, skin
diseases (Pingle and Dhyansagar, 1980), and
anti-inflammatory steroidal drugs.

10. Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Family Acanthaceae)
a gregarious shrub, commonly found with
mangroves along the coastal regions of India.
The common names of Acanthus ilicifolius are
Beng. Harkucha kanta, Eng. Holy leaved
acanthus.
It is found commonly in the east and west
coasts, also found in Meghalaya and the
Andamans. Leaves are simple, oblong to
elliptic, varying in size, smaller in flowering
season.
Acanthus ilicifolius

11. Acanthus ilicifolius (Acanthaceae) has received
considerable attention due to its wide range of
secondary metabolites and its traditional usage
in Indian and Chinese system of medicine.
This plant is reported to be a mangrove.
Mangrove survives in the most hostile
environment with fluctuating tidal and saline
regime. Hence, these plants are considered
to be rich sources of steroids, triterpenoids,
saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins.

12. The plant have demonstrated significant
pharmacological activities like antioxidant,
anticarcinogenic, anti-osteporotic and
hepatoprotective.
Traditionally, the plant has been used for
dyspepsia, paralysis, asthsma, headache,
rheumatism, and skin diseases.

13. Annona squamosa
Annona squamosa Linn.
(Family Annonaceae), popular
with common name of
“custurd apple or sugar apple”.
Its origin from West Indies and Central
America. The plant is also cultivated
throughout the South Asia especially in
tropical regions for edible purpose. It is a
small (about 5-6 m in height) deciduous tree
with irregular branches.

14. Ethyl acetate extracts leaf of Annona squamosa L.
were found acetogenins,alkaloids,dofamine,salsolinol
and Coclaurine. Its have significant anticancer activity.
It is effective remedy for various types of
inflammatory diseases as well as tumorous growths.
The plant has been used in traditional medicine of
several tropical countries to treat epilepsy, dysentry,
cardiac problems, worm infection, constipation,
hemorhage, antibacterial, dysurea, fever and ulcer. It
also has anti-fertility and abortifacient properties
(Soni et al., 2012).

15. Alstonia scholaris Linn (Family
Apocynaceae) which is popularly
known as the “Saptaparni” or
“Devil’s tree”. Common name of
Bengali are Chatium.
Alstonia scholaris Linn is a medium to large tree.
The uperside of the leaves are glossy, while the
underside is Greyish, its mature bark is grayish.
It is widely distributed in dried forests of India,
Western Himalayas, Western Ghats and in the
Southern region.
Alstonia scholaris

16. The plant Alstonia scholaris has been used in
different system of traditional medication for the
treatment of diseases and ailments of human
beings. It is reported to contain various alkaloids,
flavonoids and phenolic acids.
It has been reported as anti-cancer, antioxidant,
analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer,
bronchodilatory, antimicrobial, antiamoebic,
antidiarrhoeal, antiplasmodial, hepatoprotective,
immunomodulatory, antiasthmatic, free radical
scavenging, anti-fertility and wound
healing activities.

17. Calotropis gigantea
Calotropis gigantea (Crown flower
or Akanda) is a species of
Calotropis native to Cambodia,
Indonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,
Thailand,Sri Lanka,India,China,
Pakistan,Nepal, and tropical Africa.
It is a large shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall.
It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either
white or lavender in colour. The plant has
oval, light green leaves and milky stem.

18. Traditionally extracts and preparations from
leaves and roots of Calotropis gigantea are
used against abdominal tumours, boils,
syphilis, tuberculous, leprosy, skin diseases,
piles, wounds, rheumatism and insect-bites.
Several phytochemicals have been isolated
from Calotropis gigantea and they include
cytotoxic cardenolides, anti feedant
non protein amino acid, naphthalene and
terpene derivatives, flavonol glycosides,
pregnanes, ursane-type triterpenoids and
steroids.

19. Root bark of this plant is used in
dysentery and as a purgative, alterative,
diaphoretic and emetic. Antipyretic,
analgesic, anticonvulsant, anxiolytic,
sedative, hepatoprotective, wound healing,
antidiabetic, larvicidal, anti-inflammatory
and anti-diarrhoeal activities of Calotropis
gigantea have been scientifically proven.

20. Conclusion
With the growing interest in health and
wellness, alternative medicines are becoming
increasingly popular worldwide.
In addition, a growing body of scientific
research shows that herbal medicines can be
highly effective for cancer diseases and
conditions. Moreover, as research in this area
increases, the optimum doses for herbal
medicines are known to ever greater accuracy.

21. References
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solasodine. Indian Drugs,
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coast of India. World Journal of Science and Technology, 1(1), 1-6.
3.Shirwaikar A, Rajendran K, Kumar CD. In vitro antioxidant studies of
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5. Adak M, Gupta JK: Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity
of Calotropis gigantea (AKANDA) in various biological
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22. 6. Nee, M. 1991. Synopsis of Solanum section Acanthophora: A group
of interest for glyco-alkaloides, pp. 258-266 In: J. G. Hawkes, R. N.
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23. Thank You