The Potential Use of Anethole in Oral Cancer Treatment

Oral cancer is among the world’s important public health issues. The conventional treatments for oral cancer rely heavily on surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy. Although they are efficient, they have significant adverse effects limiting their use. Indeed, many bioactive compounds derived from flavored plants have been reported to have anticancer properties, high levels of cytotoxicity toward cancer cells, and low ones toward normal cells. Therefore, it is paramount to identify natural products that do protect and prevent against oral cancer in the purpose to supply new pharmacological treatments. Our current study aims to explore the antitumor properties of anethole, 1-methoxy-4-[(E)-1-propenyl]-benzene, a compound extracted from fennel or star anise, to investigate its chemopreventive or therapeutic effect against oral cancer.