Due to the high number of annual cancer–related deaths, and the economic burden that this malignancy affects today’s society, the study of compounds isolated from natural sources should be encouraged. Most cancers are the result of a combined effect of lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetic and hereditary components. Recent literature reveals an increase in the interest for the study of phytochemicals from traditional medicine, this being a valuable resource for modern medicine to identify novel bioactive agents with potential medicinal applications. Phytochemicals are components of traditional medicine that are showing promising application in modern medicine due to their antitumor activities. Recent studies regarding two major mechanisms underlying cancer development and regulation, apoptosis and autophagy, have shown that the signaling pathways of both these processes are significantly interconnected through various mechanisms of crosstalk. Phytochemicals are able to activate pro-autophagic and pro-apoptosis mechanisms. Understanding the molecular mechanism involved in apoptosis-autophagy relationship modulated by phytochemicals plays a key role in development of a new therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. The purpose of this review is to outline the bioactive properties of the natural phytochemicals with validated antitumor activity, focusing particularly on their role in the regulation of apoptosis and autophagy crosstalk that triggers the uncontrolled expansion of tumor cells. Furthermore, we have also critically discussed the limitations and challenges of existing research strategies and the prospective research directions in this field.

由于每年与癌症相关的死亡人数众多，以及这种恶性肿瘤影响当今社会的经济负担，应鼓励研究从天然来源分离的化合物。大多数癌症是生活方式、环境因素以及遗传和遗传因素综合作用的结果。最近的文献表明，人们对传统医学中植物化学物质的研究兴趣增加，这是现代医学识别具有潜在药用价值的新型生物活性剂的宝贵资源。植物化学物质是传统医学的组成部分，由于其抗肿瘤活性，在现代医学中显示出广阔的应用前景。最近关于癌症发展和调节的两个主要机制，细胞凋亡和自噬的研究，已经表明，这两个过程的信号通路通过各种串扰机制显着相互关联。植物化学物质能够激活促自噬和促凋亡机制。了解植物化学物质调节的细胞凋亡-自噬关系的分子机制对于开发新的癌症治疗策略具有关键作用。这篇综述的目的是概述具有经过验证的抗肿瘤活性的天然植物化学物质的生物活性特性，特别关注它们在调节细胞凋亡和自噬串扰中的作用，这些串扰会引发肿瘤细胞不受控制的扩张。此外，我们还批判性地讨论了现有研究策略的局限性和挑战以及该领域的前瞻性研究方向。