Plant-derived natural products in treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the prevailing form of cancer in males and ranks as the second leading cause of cancer-related death globally. The transition from advanced prostate cancer to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is a critical factor in the morbidity and mortality associated with the illness, presenting a substantial treatment obstacle. Resistance has been linked to the activation of androgen receptors by many methods, including alternate biosynthesis routes of dehydroepiandrosterone, other compounds that activate the androgen receptor, oncogenes, and signaling pathways involved with carcinogenesis. The tumor microenvironment is of utmost importance in both the course of cancer and the development of medication resistance. Several natural compounds have shown signifcant promise in combating specifc or multiple resistance pathways, as evidenced by research conducted in cell lines, tumor samples, and animal models. Nevertheless, the clinical studies of these substances have been compromised due to their negative pharmacological characteristics, such as inadequate water solubility, hydrophobic nature, high excretion rate, low pharmacokinetic profle, and instability. Natural products formulated in nanoparticles provide a potential solution to the current impasse by using targeted drug administration, enhancing the pharmacokinetic drug profle, and facilitating the transit of diagnostic and therapeutic agents through biologically unpassable enclosures. This chapter presents a compilation of the existing data about the application of natural products in the treatment of prostate cancer and CRPC.