Phytochemical and Anticancer Properties of Cuscuta Reflexa: A Therapeutic Approach for Future Insights

Cuscuta reflexa, a parasitic plant, has been traditionally used in medicine for its diverse therapeutic properties. This review will focus on the phytochemical and anticancer potential of C. reflexa to emphasize its future applications in therapy. C. reflexa produced different bioactive compounds that include flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenolic acids with high anticancer properties. These phytochemicals have demonstrated encouraging outcomes in their preclinical trials, blocking the growth of cancer cells, triggering eventual cell death, and altering crucial pathways of signals. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of the plant extracts have also been established, which could lead to the anticancer activity of the plant. C. reflexa has not been exploited fully in modern medicine despite its potential and additional studies are required to help exploit its therapeutic potential. This review gives an overview of the phytochemical profile, anticancer pharmacology, and future trends in the research and development of C. reflexa. The list of current information on C. reflexa can possibly spur the further research of the topic, eventually resulting in the creation of the novel anticancer techniques.