Background: Oral cancer is a significant health problem worldwide. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant neoplasm of epithelial cells that mostly affects different anatomical sites in the head and neck and derives from the squamous epithelium or displays similar morphological characteristics. Generally, OSCC is often the end stage of several changes in the stratified squamous epithelium, which begin as epithelial dysplasia and progress by breaking the basement membrane and invading adjacent tissues. Several plant-based drugs with potent anti-cancer effects are considered inexpensive treatments with limited side effects for cancer and other diseases.

Objective: The aim of this review is to explore whether some Brazilian plant extracts or constituents exhibit anti-tumorigenic activity or have a cytotoxic effect on human oral carcinoma cells.

Methods: Briefly, OSCC and several metabolites derived from Brazilian plants (i.e., flavonoids, vinblastine, irinotecan, etoposide and paclitaxel) were used as keywords to search the literature on PubMed, GenBank and GeneCards.

Results: The results showed that these five chemical compounds found in Cerrado Biome plants exhibit anti-neoplastic effects. Evaluating the compounds revealed that they play a main role in the regulation of cell proliferation.

Conclusion: Preserving and utilising the biodiversity of our planet, especially in unique ecosystems, such as the Cerrado Biome, may prove essential to preserving and promoting human health in modern contexts.

背景：口腔癌是世界范围内一个重大的健康问题。口腔鳞状细胞癌（OSCC）是一种上皮细胞恶性肿瘤，主要累及头颈部的不同解剖部位，起源于鳞状上皮或表现出相似的形态特征。通常，OSCC 往往是复层鳞状上皮的几种变化的终末阶段，其开始为上皮发育不良，并通过破坏基底膜和侵入邻近组织而进展。几种具有强效抗癌作用的植物性药物被认为是廉价的治疗方法，对癌症和其他疾病的副作用有限。

目的：本综述的目的是探讨一些巴西植物提取物或成分是否对人类口腔癌细胞具有抗肿瘤发生活性或细胞毒作用。

方法：简而言之，以 OSCC 和几种源自巴西植物的代谢物（即类黄酮、长春碱、伊立替康、依托泊苷和紫杉醇）为关键词，在 PubMed、GenBank 和 GeneCards 上搜索文献。

结果：结果表明，在 Cerrado Biome 植物中发现的这五种化合物具有抗肿瘤作用。评估这些化合物表明它们在细胞增殖的调节中起主要作用。

结论：保护和利用我们星球的生物多样性，尤其是在塞拉多生物群落等独特的生态系统中，可能被证明对于在现代环境中保护和促进人类健康至关重要。