The Interplay between Medical Plants and Gut Microbiota in Cancer

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 15; no. 15; p. 3327
• Main Authors: Caserta, Santino, Genovese, Claudia, Cicero, Nicola, Toscano, Valeria, Gangemi, Sebastiano, Allegra, Alessandro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.07.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Apoptosis; B cells; Bacteria; Bacteria - metabolism; baicalein; Blood pressure; Caffeine; Cancer; Cardiovascular diseases; Cell cycle; Colorectal cancer; Development and progression; Diabetes; Diet; Dietary minerals; Dysbiosis - microbiology; E coli; Energy drinks; evodiamine; Flavonoids; Flowers & plants; Food; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; gut microbiota; Health aspects; Humans; Inflammation; medical plants; Medical research; Metabolism; Metabolites; Microbiota; Microbiota (Symbiotic organisms); Monoclonal antibodies; Neoplasms; nobiletin; Obesity; Oncology, Experimental; Oxidative stress; Pathogens; Polyphenols; Probiotics; Review; Small intestine; Transcription factors; Type 2 diabetes; Vegetables; daidzein; nobiletin; baicalein; cancer; evodiamine; medical plants; resveratrol; gut microbiota
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu15153327

The gut microbiota is a dynamic community of bacteria distributed in the gastroenteric tract and changes in response to diseases, diet, use of antibiotics and probiotics, hygiene status, and other environmental factors. Dysbiosis, a disruption of the normal crosstalk between the host and the microbes, is associated with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, is linked to a reduction of anti-inflammatory bacteria like and , and to an increase in the growth of proinflammatory species like and . Some plants possess anticancer properties and various studies have reported that some of these are also able to modulate the gut microbiota. The aim of this work is to evaluate the crucial relationship between medical plants and gut microbiota and the consequences on the onset and progression of cancer. In vivo studies about hematological malignancies showed that beta-glucans tie to endogenous antibeta glucan antibodies and to iC3b, an opsonic fragment of the central complement protein C3, leading to phagocytosis of antibody-targeted neoplastic cells and potentiation of the cytotoxic activity of the innate immune system if administered together with monoclonal antibodies. In conclusion, this review suggests the potential use of medical plants to improve gut dysbiosis and assist in the treatment of cancer.