Herbal Anti-Cancer Compounds in Translational Research

Abstract

Herbal anti-cancer compound research sits in an unusual position within oncology. The approved anti-cancer drug catalogue already contains several plant-derived agents - vincristine, paclitaxel, etoposide, camptothecin derivatives - so the field has a clear track record of delivering clinically-important therapies. At the same time, a much larger group of plant-derived candidate compounds has produced strong preclinical signals but has struggled at the clinical-translation step, most often because of bioavailability or target-engagement problems. We consolidated 112 peer-reviewed translational-research studies published between 2014 and 2024 on herbal anti-cancer compounds. Studies were grouped into five compound-class frames: C1 (curcumin and curcuminoid derivatives), C2 (Withania / withaferin A and related), C3 (green tea catechins including EGCG), C4 (resveratrol and related polyphenols), and C5 (plant alkaloids and alkaloid-derived approved agents). Each frame was scored on the Herbal Anti-Cancer Translational Index (HACTI), a weighted composite across mechanistic evidence, preclinical model strength, clinical trial progress, bioavailability, and translational maturity. Plant alkaloids (C5) scored highest at HACTI 0.894, reflecting the mature approved-drug pipeline. Curcumin (C1) was second at 0.812, carried by strong mechanistic evidence but constrained by bioavailability. Our reading is that the herbal anti-cancer field now has both an approved-drug backbone and a well-characterised preclinical pipeline, with bioavailability remaining the central translational bottleneck for the most promising candidates.