Sunflower and Passiflora Seeds and Their Roles in Cancer with Special Reference to Secondary Metabolites Present Within Them

Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in our body that can lead to death. Cancer cells usually invade and destroy normal cells. Every year, millions of people are diagnosed and they die from cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, society cancer deaths account for 2–3% of annual deaths worldwide. It has been found that every year around 35 lakhs people around the world die due to cancer. Many antineoplastic agents are used to treat cancer, but they induce toxic lysis, which limits their use. Because of the high mortality rate from cancer, and the serious side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, many cancer patients seek alternatives and additional treatments. Recent research relevance lies in the development of suitable chemotherapeutic ARs for cancer treatment without any toxic effects. Since time immemorial, plants are being used for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. More than 50% of modern medicines used in clinical practice belongs to natural products and many of them can control cancer cells. According to WHO estimates, more than 80% of people in developing countries rely on traditional medicine for their basic health care needs. A recent survey shows that more than 60% of cancer patients consume vitamins or herbs as a treatment. In this way, we have studied through this chapter the anticancer activity of the two different plants: Sunflower and Passiflora seeds that include the chemical constituent of the respective plant(s) containing different types of secondary metabolites. In traditional medicine, sunflower seed is used to treat tumors and malignant neoplasms. Studies have also been conducted to confirm the antitumor and antidiabetic activity of seed extract. And the genus Passiflora is a good source of bioflavonoids, namely chrysin, apigenin, kaempferol, quercetin, Apigenin, genistein, etc., which have tremendous therapeutic potential as antioxidants, immunomodulators, sedatives, and anticarcinogens.