Beyond Curcumin: Highlighting the Potential of Ayurvedic Medicinal Flora in Cancer Research

Conventional cancer therapies pose a toxicity risk to healthy cells, which leads to severe physical and physiological changes in both cancer patients and survivors. These treatments, in combination with phytochemicals, have been found to exhibit minimal side effects and additional anti-oxidant effects. The Indian state of Kerala is well known for its Ayurvedic history and harbors medicinal flora whose phytochemicals have been broadly studied for their anticancer properties. Prompt advancements in preclinical and clinical studies surrounding the bioavailability and stability of bioactive compounds are essential to incorporating phytotherapy into cancer treatment. This review delves into a few rarely discussed yet promising medicinal plants found in Kerala, presenting existing evidence of their anticancer properties, mainly focusing on their phytoconstituents.