Introduction: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and is estimated to account for 9.6 million death in 2018. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervix and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.Cancer cells grow and divide at an abnormally rapid rate, are poorly differentiated, and have abnormal membranes, cytoskeletal proteins, and morphology. The abnormality in cells can be progressive with a slow transition from normal cells to benign tumors to malignant tumors.Also according to current evidence diets high in fruits and vegetables may have an independent protective effect against many cancers.Sumac (Rhus Coriaria)is any one of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumac grows in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world. Also is a great source of tannins and flavonoids which are strong antioxidants.The main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sumac on preventing the growth of cancer cells.
Methods: We searched pubmed and google scholar from 2003 to 2019 with sumac, Rhus Coriaria, cancer prevention, anticancer, tannins and flavonoids keywords.15 articles were found in pubmed and 5 articles were found in google scholar and a number of articles were mutual.from 20 articles with investigating the title we exclude 8 articles.also with reading abstract we exclude 4 articles. finally we decided to include 8 articles into our study.
Results: Most of the articles accepted this theory that there are some specific components in sumac(Rhus Coriaria) that have cancer preventive and anticancer effects as a result of their high amount of anti-oxidants. The main anti-cancer effect of sumac is because of these two key components: Flavonoids and Tannins.4 articles showed that Flavonoids can be anti-cancer agents and have cancer prevention effects. According to one of these articles food Flavonoids have potential effects against various types of tumors including oral, gastric, pancreatic, hepatic, prostate, colorectal, breast, ovarian, lung and endometrial cancer.Another article also proved that Ellagitannins can have strong potential for development as chemopreventive agents against various human cancers.Also one of the articles stated that according to some evidence Flavonoids reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer with 3 mechanisms: first of all, by supressing the development of new cancer cells. Second, by preventing carcinogens from getting to their activation sites. Third mechanism is by decreasing the toxicity of certain compounds.
Conclusion: According to the results, sumac inhibits cancer cell growth and inhibits cancer progression. Since sumac can well control the growth of cancer cells, so it is recommended to use sumac as a natural chemotherapy and to include it in the diet of people with cancer. It is also advisable to consume other peasants in a balanced manner.