Natural products derived from medicinal plants and microbes might act as a game-changer in breast cancer: a comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent neoplasm among women. Genetic and environmental factors lead to BC development and on this basis, several preventive – screening and therapeutic interventions have been developed. Hormones, both in the form of endogenous hormonal signaling or hormonal contraceptives, play an important role in BC pathogenesis and progression. On top of these, breast microbiota includes both species with an immunomodulatory activity enhancing the host’s response against cancer cells and species producing proinflammatory cytokines associated with BC development. Identification of novel multitargeted therapeutic agents with poly-pharmacological potential is a dire need to combat advanced and metastatic BC. A growing body of research has emphasized the potential of natural compounds derived from medicinal plants and microbial species as complementary BC treatment regimens, including dietary supplements and probiotics. In particular, extracts from plants such as Artemisia monosperma Delile, Origanum dayi Post, Urtica membranacea Poir. ex Savigny, Krameria lappacea (Dombey) Burdet & B.B. Simpson and metabolites extracted from microbes such as Deinococcus radiodurans and Streptomycetes strains as well as probiotics like Bacillus coagulans and Lactobacillus brevis MK05 have exhibited antitumor effects in the form of antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity, increase in tumors’ chemosensitivity, antioxidant activity and modulation of BC – associated molecular pathways. Further, bioactive compounds like 3,3’-diindolylmethane, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, rutin, resveratrol, lycopene, sulforaphane, silibinin, rosmarinic acid, and shikonin are of special interest for the researchers and clinicians because these natural agents have multimodal action and act via multiple ways in managing the BC and most of these agents are regularly available in our food and fruit diets. Evidence from clinical trials suggests that such products had major potential in enhancing the effectiveness of conventional antitumor agents and decreasing their side effects. We here provide a comprehensive review of the therapeutic effects and mechanistic underpinnings of medicinal plants and microbial metabolites in BC management. The future perspectives on the translation of these findings to the personalized treatment of BC are provided and discussed.

Keywords:

• anticancer agents
• breast cancer
• cytotoxic
• hormone-sensitive cancer
• medicinal plants
• metabolites
• natural compounds
• tumor heterogeneity

Disclosure statement

Author Rajeev K. Singla is honorary-based associated with the iGlobal Research and Publishing Foundation (iGRPF), India. RKS along with the remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Availability of data and materials

All the key information is already available in the manuscript, still, authors are ready to share the raw data, if the proper channel for the inquiry will be followed which will be routed through journal and affiliation authorities.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070671), the Covid-19 research projects of West China Hospital Sichuan University (Grant no. HX-2019-nCoV-057) as well as the regional innovation cooperation between Sichuan and Guangxi Provinces (2020YFQ0019). Funding for open access charge: University of Vigo / CISUG is also duly acknowledged.