This review systematically examines the potential of spices and culinary herbs (e.g., turmeric, garlic, ginger) for breast cancer (BC) prevention and treatment, elucidating their underlying mechanisms: inhibiting BC cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis; inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest; and modulating dysregulated signaling pathways (e.g., PI3K/Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin). Notably, their bioactive constituents (e.g., curcumin from turmeric, allicin from garlic, gingerol from ginger) exhibit anti-BC efficacy with fewer adverse effects than conventional chemotherapeutics.
Importantly, it synthesizes in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence—for instance, phase I/II trials demonstrating that curcumin combined with docetaxel or paclitaxel improved outcomes in patients with advanced BC. Clinically, these natural agents represent safe, accessible adjuncts to standard BC therapies, though additional large-scale, well-designed clinical trials are required to validate their translational value.
