RESUMO
With the advent of pandemics and infectious diseases, numerous research activities on natural products have been carried out to combat them. Researchers are investigating natural products for the treatment and/or management of various infectious diseases and/or disorders. Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. belongs to the family Fabaceae (subfamily Mimosoideae) known as Khair or Cutch tree, possesses diverse pharmacological actions, and has been widely used in Asia and different parts of the world. The purpose of the present study is to highlight the phytochemical profile of different parts of A. catechu, the different biological activities of A. catechu extract, and the utilization of A. catechu as food and beverage. The present work constitutes a review of A. catechu; we performed searches (books, Google, Google Scholar, and Scopus publications) to compile the work/investigations made on A. catechu to the present. From our survey, it was concluded that the main phytochemicals compounds in A. catechu are protocatechuic acid, taxifolin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, catechin, epicatechin gallate, procyanidin, phloroglucin, aldobiuronic acid, gallic acid, D-galactose, afzelchin gum, L-arabinose, D-rhamnose, and quercetin. The whole plant of A. catechu possesses a comprehensive variety of medicinal potentials such as antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, antinociceptive, antihyperlipidemic, antiulcer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiproliferative, haemolytic, and anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of bioactive compounds like flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. However, even though the plant's metabolites were reported to have many different pharmacological uses, there is limited information about their toxicity or clinical trials. Further research on diverse metabolites of A. catechu should be carried out to ensure the safety or utilization of this plant in the pharma or food industries and in the development of potent plant-based drugs.
RESUMO
Oral cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, and its prevalence is particularly high in developing countries, where people chew tobacco and betel nut on a regular basis. Radiation-, chemo-, targeted-, immuno-, and hormone-based therapies along with surgery are commonly used as part of a treatment plan. However, these treatments frequently result in various unwanted short- to long-term side effects. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop treatment options for oral cancer that have little or no adverse effects. Numerous bioactive compounds derived from various plants have recently attracted attention as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. Antioxidants found in medicinal plants, such as vitamins E, C, and A, reduce damage to the mucosa by neutralizing free radicals found in various oral mucosal lesions. Phytochemicals found in medicinal plants have the potential to modulate cellular signalling pathways that alter the cellular defence mechanisms to protect normal cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various medicinal plants and phytoconstituents that have shown the potential to be used as oral cancer therapeutics.
