Menthol: An underestimated anticancer agent

Abstract

Menthol, a widely used natural, active compound, has recently been shown to have anticancer activity. Moreover, it has been found to have a promising future in the treatment of various solid tumors. Therefore, using literature from PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, ScienceDirect, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases, the present study reviewed the anticancer activity of menthol and the underlying mechanism. Menthol has a good safety profile and exerts its anticancer activity via multiple pathways and targets. As a result, it has gained popularity for significantly inhibiting different types of cancer cells by various mechanisms such as induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, disruption of tubulin polymerization, and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. Owing to the excellent anticancer activity menthol has demonstrated, further research is warranted for developing it as a novel anticancer agent. However, there are limitations and gaps in the current research on menthol, and its antitumor mechanism has not been completely elucidated. It is expected that more basic experimental and clinical studies focusing on menthol and its derivatives will eventually help in its clinical application as a novel anticancer agent.

Comparative Cytotoxicity of Menthol and Eucalyptol: An In Vitro Study on Human Gingival Fibroblasts

“…Instead, the results should be interpreted as preliminary evidence, which highlights the importance of the cautious use of menthol and eucalyptol in products that contact the oral tissues and calls for further evidence in this regard. At the same time, considering the previous recent evidence on the potential therapeutic use of the cytotoxicity of eucalyptol and menthol in the treatment of tumoral cells [ 20 , 39 , 46 ], this study acts as supporting evidence in that regard.…”

Enhancing the Properties of Natural Products and Other Drugs: Deuterium: A Novel Approach

“…Although Menthol has been shown to have significant anticancer efficacy, its clinical application has been severely limited due to some issues, including poorly established toxic side effects and pharmacokinetics. Only a small number of studies have evaluated the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of Menthol, even though it has been extensively researched for its potential application in cancer prevention and treatment 17 .…”

Harnessing the power of traditional Chinese medicine monomers and compound prescriptions to boost cancer immunotherapy

“…Additionally, the compound menthol has been found to block the trans-activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) by activating the transient receptor potential melastatin subtype 8 (TRPM8) ion channel. This activation inhibits VEGF-induced angiogenesis in specific cancer cells, such as uveal melanoma UM92.1 cells and PC-3 cells, providing a novel approach to target angiogenesis in cancer therapy ( 62 – 64 ). In conclusion, TCM compounds have shown anti-angiogenic properties by targeting key molecular pathways involved in angiogenesis, such as VEGF signaling.…”