Abstract:
Cancer is one of the major health problems in both developed and developing countries.
Cancer treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy, are
expensive and reported to have side effects. Many medicinal plants possess anticancer activity and
act as rich source of medicines in cancer therapy. Pharmaceutical properties of medicinal plants
are mainly attributed to the presence of several potential secondary metabolites such as alkaloids,
phenols, flavonoids, quinones, tannins, saponins and sterols. Many active compounds from such
groups of metabolites have resulted in the development of highly effective plant derived clinical
drugs. Menispermaceae members of flowering plants are dioecious climbing plants. Majority of
the members show wide distribution in tropical climates, and have long been used worldwide in
traditional medicine to treat various ailments. Most species have been identified as a reservoir of
bioactive metabolites with potent antipyretic, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antidepressant,
antifertility, antiallergic, antiulcer, anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory and
antivenom activities.
