Cytotoxic effects of tea (Camellia sinensis), stevia (Stevia rebaudiana), moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaves, and their potential as functional beverages for cancer patients

The global incidence of cancer has been rising annually, affecting various types and increasing the number of patients. Research on cancer, including its pathology, treatment, and management of side effects, continues to evolve, yet no truly satisfactory outcomes have been achieved. Pharmacological cancer therapy should be complemented with non-pharmacological approaches to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) still troubles patients after all these years, making functional beverages a potential target to overcome this problem. Several natural ingredients, including tea, moringa, and stevia leaves, have been empirically used as functional beverages due to their antioxidant level. Therefore, it's necessary to determine whether these plants exhibit cytotoxic effects on cancer cells and their interaction with anticancer drugs. This review aimed to compile previous research on the potential of tea, moringa, and stevia leaves as functional beverages for cancer patients. Their cytotoxic effect has been demonstrated in several in vitro studies, with no reported metabolic herbal-drug interactions. Novelty: This review highlights the underexplored potential of tea, stevia, and moringa as functional beverage components with cytotoxic properties relevant to cancer patient care.