Anticancer Bioactive Peptides from Plants: Sources, Action Mechanisms, and Potential Superiority to Conventional Chemotherapy

Abstract

Cancer continues to be a major global health challenge, with existing treatments often causing severe side effects, drug resistance, and high costs. Plant-derived anticancer peptides (PDACPs) have emerged as a promising alternative due to their high specificity, multi-target mechanisms, and safety profile. This review summarizes the sources (e.g., legumes, cereals, and medicinal plants), mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potential of PDACPs, highlighting their role in apoptosis induc-tion, cell cycle arrest, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition. Mechanistic investigations reveal that PDACPs exert anticancer effects through multiple pathways, including the induction of apoptosis via mitochondrial membrane disruption and the upregulation of pro-apoptotic factors, the inhibition of cell proliferation by arresting cell-cycle progression, the sup-pression of angiogenesis through the downregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor signaling, and the disruption of tumor-associated membrane integrity. Preclinical studies suggest that, compared to conventional chemotherapeutics, PDACPs may offer advantages such as enhanced tumor selectivity, reduced off-target toxicity, and diminished likelihood of resist-ance development. We also discuss current challenges in peptide stability, delivery, and large-scale production, and propose strategies, such as nanoparticle encapsulation, to enhance clinical viability. This comprehensive synthesis underscores the potential of PDACPs as next-generation anticancer therapeutics and paves the way for translational development.