Cancer is the second leading cause of death. Millions of people are diagnosed with cancer each year and about 3.5 million people die of cancer annually across the globe. Plants have provided the mainstay of cancer chemotherapy over the past 40 years. Many of the anticancer drugs available have been developed from plants which are likely to continue to provide many of the lead anticancer structures. Additionally, about 80% of people in developing countries depend on traditional medicine for their primary health needs. Researchers from across the globe consistently explore diverse lead chemical scaffolds derived from plants that may be used directly or as templates for the development of new anticancer drugs.

Owing to the high mortality rate associated with cancer, and the serious adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, many cancer patients seek alternative or complementary methods of treatment with 60% of cancer patients using vitamins or herbs as therapy. Plants have been used for treating various human and animal diseases since times immemorial. Given the vast biodiversity that is harboured by planet earth, only a minuscule quantity of the plant species present has been explored for their anticancer activities. Therefore, more research is required to identify and screen plant-derived compounds for their anticancer potential. Owing to the high demand for safer anticancer therapeutic agents and better side effects of the synthetic counterparts, natural bioactive compounds have enormous potential in the pharmaceutical industry.

Considering the importance of plants as the source of anticancer agents, this Special Issue aims to present novel findings of the metabolomic evaluation and anticancer activity of plant-derived compounds. This Special Issue calls for original research and review articles with a focus on the bioactivity and molecular mechanism of plant-derived anticancer agents.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Anticancer activity of plant-derived compounds in vitro and in vivo
• Elucidation of the mechanism of action of novel plant-derived anticancer agents
• Metabolomic evaluation of active phytoconstituents responsible for anticancer activity based on omics techniques (HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS)
• Apoptosis-inducing plant-derived anticancer agents
• Cell cycle arrest triggering plant-derived anticancer agents
• Autophagy-inducing plant-derived anticancer agents
• Mitophagy-inducing plant-derived anticancer agents
• Synergistic effects of plant-derived anticancer compounds
• Effects of plant-derived anticancer agents on metastasis of cancer cells