Introduction. In the discovery of more potent and selective anticancer drugs, the research continually expands and explores new\nbioactive metabolites coming from different natural sources. Gallnuts are a group of very special natural products formed through\nparasitic interaction between plants and insects. Though it has been traditionally used as a source of drugs for the treatment of\ncancerous diseases in traditional and folk medicinal systems through centuries, the anticancer properties of gallnuts are barely\nsystematically reviewed. Objective. To evidence the traditional uses and phytochemicals and pharmacological mechanisms in\nanticancer aspects of gallnuts, a literature review was performed. Materials and Methods. The systematic review approach consisted\nof searching web-based scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The keywords for searching\ninclude gallnut, Galla Chinensis, Rhus chinensis, Rhus potaninii, Rhus punjabensis, nutgall, gall oak, Quercus infectoria, Quercus\nlusitanica, and galla turcica. Two reviewers extracted papers independently to remove the papers unrelated to the anticancer\nproperties of gallnuts. Patents, abstracts, case reports, and abstracts in symposium and congress were excluded. Results and\nConclusion. As a result, 14 articles were eligible to be evaluated. It is primarily evident that gallnuts contain a number of bioactive\nmetabolites, which account for anticancer activities. The phytochemical and pharmacological studies reviewed strongly underpin\na fundamental understanding of anticancer properties for gallnuts (Galla Chinensis and Galla Turcica) and support their ongoing\nclinical uses in China.Thefurther bioactive compounds screening and evaluation, pharmacological investigation, and clinical trials\nare expected to progress gallnut-based development to finally transform the wild medicinal gallnuts to the valuable authorized\nanticancer drugs.
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