The Potential Of Moringa Olinfera As An Anticancer Agent

In today’s world cancer is still a fatal disease with high death rate and its cures have many side effects on the patients which are dangerous for the patient. [1] With western techniques of therapies, medication from natural and traditional resources are still used in many places in the world which are cheap and somewhat showed effectiveness against cancer cells, a lot of plants are use and one of them is known as Moringa olinfera (MO), which is usually knows as Drumstick tree[3]. It is used commonly against different viral disease and different type of cancer’s as it has many bioactive compounds which acts as an antiproliferative agents [3].

With advancement in nanotechnology we can now synthesis nanoparticles using polyphenols and different bioactive compounds which are abundant in MO leaves [5]. MO is considered as a very healthy and nutritional food and almost all parts have shown effectiveness against some disease and can be eaten in any form and still be healthy [2]. Cachexia syndrome is a syndrome in cancer patients, in which the skeletal muscles are degraded and activity of metabolism is badly effected and it has restricted medication [15], but its effects can be limited by using the extract of MO leaves as it was shown in an experiment done on rats which were effected from Cachexia, the muscle degeneration was reduced as calcium ATPase activity was vitally enhanced by using MO leaves [19]. MO shows high effectiveness as an antiproliferative agents against cancer cells. It produces cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cells, and controls the NFkB pathway, also works effectively against breast and lungs cancer [6].

The extract from hot water MO leaves showed antiproliferative characteristic’s against a lung cancer cell A549 [2]. A natural compound glucosinolates which has ability to start apoptosis in cells is also present in MO is effective against cancer cells and some other compounds which reduces the proliferation of cancer cells [25]. Nanotechnology is revolutionized. Nanoparticles has extensive applications as they are of small size. They can be synthesized chemically or by plants (green) but green synthesis is more preferable. Gold nanoparticles are more used than silver nanoparticles. MO leaves extract is used in green synthesis to produce gold phytonanoparticles [37]. MO flower acts as a reducing agent in synthesis process, gold phytonanoparticles are cytotoxic to lungs cancer cell but not to healthy cells. Nanoparticles we get from synthesis of roots and leaves are cytotoxic to breast cancer cells, liver cancer cells and Caco2 cell [40]. Some extracts from MO were examined for their phytochemical compositions and it was find out that there are flavonoids and alkaloids present [42]. Which were then more examined for effectiveness against bacterial cells and found out that they show resistance against Escherichiacoli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus [42]. MO seedpod extract was used to examine the chemopreventive potential in mouse. It was showed that oxidative stress markers in mouse were reduced with an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity and liver cytochrome P450 activity [44]. It also reduced the growth of tumors in mice which deducted that they were potential anticancer agents. Daily usage of MO showed that it increases the chemopreventative agents in mice [44].

Gold phytonanoparticles were synthesized using green synthesis from aqueous MO leaf extract which acts both as a reducing and stabilizing agent [54]. These phytonanoparticles were then used in rats to determine acute toxicity [54]. The results indicated that they were relatively safe and could be used further for biomedical applications [54]. Cancer is a leading cause of global mortality and existing therapies have several side-effects. The cost associated with therapies is rapidly rising which limits access to important life-saving procedures. Alternate therapies are the key in providing more affordable treatment to many. Natural medicine has been a vital source for these alternate therapies. MO has shown potential as an anticancer agent. In addition, these natural medicinal plants can be used for the synthesis of phytonanoparticles with targeted anticancer properties. With advancing medicine these agents can provide a source of easily accessible and affordable therapies in the future.