Cancer remains a pressing global health concern with profound social and economic implications, accounting for nearly 17% of all deaths worldwide. Throughout history, medicinal plants have been employed in traditional healing practices to treat various illnesses, including cancer, and they continue to play a vital role in modern healthcare. Chile, a South American country with a diverse range of climates and landscapes, harbors exceptional biodiversity that offers many natural products with potential cytotoxic properties. This study presents a comprehensive review of the literature, collecting existing evidence that twelve Chilean species, Leptocarpha rivularis, Peumus boldus, Aristotelia chilensis, Drimys winteri, Solidago chilensis, Buddleja globosa, Senecio graveolens, Geoffroea decorticans, Ugni molinae, Austrocedrus chilensis, Gracilaria chilensis, and Kageneckia oblonga, exhibit potential cytotoxic properties against cancer. Extracts and isolated molecules from these species have been shown to induce cell death, reduce cellular viability, attenuate clonogenic growth, induce senescent phenotype, and even exert anti-angiogenic effects. These species display high toxicity and specificity, operating through mechanisms such as cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, chromatin fragmentation, and mitochondrial alteration. The findings summarized here support the importance of further research. Many of the bioactive compounds identified remain poorly characterized, and their molecular mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood. By consolidating current evidence, this work establishes a foundation for future research aimed at developing therapeutic applications that harness Chilean natural products to prevent cancer progression.
Köning et al. (2026) studied this question.