The Role of Natural Products in Managing Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most occurring cancer worldwide, responsible for approximately 1000000 deaths annually. There are many ways for the treatment of HCC such as; resection, liver transplantation, sorafenib and chemoembolization. Although all the previous treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma are good and may be fast but these methods are expensive and have many complications, so all the world is going to produce new drugs from natural origins to avoid these complications. Herbal medicine has become a very safe, non-toxic, and easily available source of cancertreating compounds. Herbs are believed to neutralize the effects of diseases in a body because of various characteristics they possess. Although all the previous treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma are good and may be fast in their effects but it is more expensive and have many complications, so all the world is going to produce new drugs from natural origins and plants to avoid these complications A number of medicinal plants showed a cytotoxic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma due to the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites. Aim: This review aims to illustrate the role of natural products and their major bioactive constituents in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, and discusses the possible mechanisms of action, to be used instead of synthetic medications which combined with undesired complications. Results: The current review showed that medicinal plants play a vital role in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma due to the presence of diversity of phytoconstituents that exert their effect via different mechanisms of action.