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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Apoptotic Activities of Mediterranean Plant Species

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Abstract Throughout the Mediterranean region, medicinal plants are widely used to improve health and avoid disease. Various epidemiological studies indicate that some of these plants reduce the incidence of inflammatory diseases and cancer by inducing programmed cell death, thus arresting proliferation. Several of these plant species, including saffron, capsicum, garlic, and onion, are employed for many purposes, while others, such as mistletoe, myrtle, French lavender, and rue, have more selective uses. For example, saffron exerts a chemopreventive effect by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis, and garlic inhibits cancer cell growth by promoting early mitotic arrest and apoptotic cell death without affecting healthy cells. Onion may protect against certain forms of lung cancer and has cardioprotective effects against the toxicity of doxorubicin. Capsicum species, including mistletoe, rue, myrtle, and lavender, have also been studied as inductors of apoptosis on various tumor cell lines.