Natural Compounds for Inhibiting Oncogenic Microbiota: A Review of Their Therapeutic Applications

Natural compounds most used are produced primarily by plants and microbial species, with a wide range of applications in human daily life due to their spectrum of bioactivities. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the use of natural compounds or those inspired by them for anticancer therapy. In fact, understanding the roles of specialized metabolites in natural products has led to their recognition as being more biologically friendly or less toxic to normal cells. Therefore, future anticancer treatments may combine the modulation of these natural compounds and their diverse effects on malignant cells. In this paper, we present natural compounds that prevent the genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of pathogens associated with cancers. The most recent studies, including primarily terpenoids, steroid alkaloids, lectins, and polyphenolic compounds, among others, with significant anticancer potential, are discussed. We focus on those already used against cancer-associated pathogens in therapy or in clinical trial development. Additionally, the natural source of each compound and their therapeutic potential will be discussed to demonstrate the role of natural compounds as sources of effective and safe drugs.