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Identifying anticancer activity of medicinal plants and

phytochemicals; a promising step towards novel therapeutic


products
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to
invade or spread to other parts of the body. Over 100 types of cancers affect
humans. The various factors of cancer act, at least partly, by changing the genes of
a cell. Typically many genetic changes are required before cancer develops.
Approximately 510% of cancers are due to inherited genetic defects from a
person's parents.

Cancer treatment often causes side effects. These side effects occur because
treatment to destroy cancer cells damages some healthy cells as well. As a result,
patients may have a lowered resistance to infection, loss of appetite, nausea,
vomiting, or mouth sores. Patients also may have less energy, lose their hair,
infertility, kidney damage and thrombo-phlebitis. These drawbacks justify further
research and development of natural anticancer agents that are safe for the host or
specific for cancer cells. The genetic and life style risk factors of cancer can be
reduced by epigenetic and it can be achieved through food and herbal medicines.
Herbal medicines play an important role here. The major objectives are follows,

Prepare a database of plants with anti cancerous properties and identify the
active principle, isolate useful compounds
Conduct insilico and invivo studies to analyze the phyto medicinal
compounds to determine cancer cell growth inhibition.
Development of natural anticancer agents that are safe for the host or
specific for cancer cells
Compare the effectiveness of such compounds in various forms of cancer.

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