Reptiles as Promising Sources of Medicinal Natural Products for Cancer Therapeutic Drugs

Natural products have historically played an important role as a source of therapeutic drugs for various diseases, and the development of medicinal natural products is still a field with high potential. Although diverse drugs have been developed for incurable diseases for several decades, discovering safe and efficient anticancer drugs remains a formidable challenge. Reptiles, as one source of Asian traditional medicines, are known to possess anticancer properties and have been used for a long time without a clarified scientific background. Recently, it has been reported that extracts, crude peptides, sera, and venom isolated from reptiles could effectively inhibit the survival and proliferation of various cancer cells. In this article, we summarize recent studies applying ingredients derived from reptiles in cancer therapy and discuss the difficulties and prospective development of natural product research.

Automated summary

Natural products have historically been important sources of therapeutic drugs and continue to hold great potential in the field of medicinal natural products. Reptiles, as a traditional source of medicine in Asia, have been found to possess anti-cancer properties. Recent studies have shown that extracts, peptides, sera, and venom obtained from reptiles can effectively inhibit the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. This article provides a summary of recent research on the use of reptile-derived ingredients in cancer therapy and discusses the challenges and potential development of natural product research.