@article {1531, title = {Healing with Herbs: Clinical Implications of Botanicals in Oral Cancer: A Comprehensive Systematic Review}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {18}, year = {2026}, month = {November 2025}, pages = {1-13}, type = {Review Article}, chapter = {1}, abstract = {

Background: Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) poses a significant global health burden, with conventional treatments often limited by severe side effects and suboptimal efficacy. Botanical drugs have emerged as promising complementary therapies due to their multitargeted mechanisms, low systemic toxicity, and ability to enhance treatment outcomes. This review explores their anticancer potential, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications in OSCC. Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, and clinical relevance of botanical drugs in OSCC treatment and prevention, including their role in managing Oral Mucositis (OM). Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using databases like PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane. Eligible studies included in vitro experiments on OSCC cell lines, animal models, and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT{\textquoteright}s) evaluating botanical drugs for OSCC treatment or chemo-radiotherapy-induced OM, while studies on non-standardized medicinal plant extracts were excluded. The ROBINS-I tool evaluated the risk of bias. Results: Nine studies met inclusion criteria, covering botanical agents such as genistein, curcumin, resveratrol, and Antitumor B (ATB). These compounds exhibited anticancer effects through apoptosis induction, angiogenesis inhibition, anti-inflammatory properties, and oxidative stress modulation. APG-157 and nanomicelle curcumin capsules effectively alleviated OM, improving patient quality of life. Challenges included low bioavailability and lack of standardization. Risk of bias was low in four studies and moderate in four. Conclusion: Botanical drugs demonstrate strong potential for OSCC treatment, offering anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer benefits with low systemic toxicity. They may serve as standalone or adjunct therapies, enhancing conventional treatments. However, further large-scale clinical trials and improved formulations are essential for clinical integration.

}, keywords = {anticancer, Botanical drugs, Chemo-radiotherapy, Complementary therapy, Oral mucositis., Oral squamous cell carcinoma}, doi = {10.5530/pres.20260047}, author = {Saranya Ramsridhar and Chandini Rajkumar and Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan and Arul Prakash Francis and Khadijah Mohideen and Murali Balasubramaniam and Ilanchezhian Jothi Prakaash} } @article {121, title = {Study of Antidiabetic Properties of Uvaria narum Leaf Extract through Glucose Uptake and Glucose Transporter 4 Expression Studies in 3T3L1 Cell Line Model}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {August 2019}, pages = {304-309}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {304}, abstract = {

Background: Uvaria narum (UN) is known to have antipyretic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antimalarial properties. The antidiabetic properties of UN remains unexplored. The current study has been aimed at understanding the antidiabetic property of UN extract on an in vitro model using 3T3-L1 cell line. Materials\ and Methods: Methanolic extract of UN was prepared, and its cytotoxic effect on 3T3-L1 cells was assessed. Glucose uptake and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation in 3T3-L1 cell line on treatment with the extract was evaluated against a standard drug, metformin. α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition activities of the extract were also assayed with acarbose as the standard drug. Results: Treatment with UN extract had no cytotoxic effect on the cells. UN extract showed a good percentage inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities. UN extract showed 71.31\% inhibition and the control drug Acarbose exhibited 88.54\% inhibition in α-amylase activity. Furthermore, the extract showed 79.11\% inhibition when Acarbose exhibited 87.35\% inhibition in α-glucosidase activity. IC50 values were also determined. Further, on treatment with the extract, 75.49\% of 3T3-L1 cells took up glucose and 70.67\% had GLUT4 expression. Conclusion: UN extract enhances glucose uptake and GLUT4 expression, inhibits α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, thereby demonstrating the antidiabetic properties in vitro.

}, keywords = {3T3-L1, Alucose transporter 4, Antidiabetic activity, Uvaria narum, α-amylase, α-glucosidase.}, doi = {10.4103/pr.pr_7_19}, author = {Murad Alsawalha and P. B. Janardhana and K. R. Padma and Shiva Shankar Reddy and Abeer M. Al-Subaie and Srinivasa Rao Bolla and Vishnu Priya Veeraraghavan and Joel P. Joseph and Surapaneni Krishna Mohan} }