Role of Natural Bioactives and their Nanocarriers for Overcoming Oxidative Stress Induced Cancer

Background: Oxidative stress and free radicals are harmful to human health. Reactive oxygen species are the major source of oxidative stress and are one of the major causes of cancer development. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Prolonged use of synthetic chemotherapeutic due to their low bioavailability leads to systemic toxic side effects. To surmount this problem, the use of antioxidants is recommended as they have the ability to counteract oxidative stress and mitigate its effects on human health. They inhibit various pathways that are involved with the initiation and progression of cancer. Various nanoformulations have been used to deliver these antioxidants (curcumin, mangiferin, quercetin) in the treatment of various cancer for overcoming oxidative stress. Objective: The main focus of this review article is to illustrate various studies performed using nanocarriers of natural bioactives to overcome oxidative stress and cancer associated with it. It also describes pathways associated with the induction, initiation and progression of cancer due to reactive oxidative species. Methods: Research articles that focused on the use of natural bioactives and their nanoformulations for the treatment of various cancers induced due to oxidative stress, were collected from various search engines like PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar, using keywords like oxidative stress, antioxidants, cancers, ROS, etc. Conclusion: Natural bioactives have shown great potential in overcoming oxidative stress for the treatment of various cancers. However, extensive research is required so that these antioxidants and their nanocarriers can be used for the welfare of mankind, in the treatment of various cancers, in the near future.