TY - JOUR AB - Ovarian cancer is a common malignancy and the second leading cause of mortality among females with genital tract cancer. At present, postoperative platinum drugs and paclitaxel‑based chemotherapy is the gold standard treatment for ovarian cancer. However, patients who receive this chemotherapy often develop cumulative toxic effects and are prone to chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to determine more effective treatment options that would be better tolerated by patients. Recent studies have reported the therapeutic effects of numerous natural products in patients with ovarian cancer. Notably, these natural ingredients do not induce adverse effects in healthy cells and tissues, suggesting that natural products may serve as a safe alternative treatment for ovarian cancer. The antitumor effects of natural products are attributed to suppression of cell proliferation and metastasis, stimulation of autophagy, improved chemotherapy sensitivity, and induction of apoptosis. The present review focused on the antitumor effects of several natural products, including curcumin, resveratrol, ginsenosides, (‑)‑epigallocatechin‑3‑gallate and quercetin, which are increasingly being investigated as therapeutic options in ovarian cancer, and discussed the molecular mechanisms involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, metastasis and sensitization. AD - Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434023, P.R. China AU - Yan,Yun-Bo AU - Tian,Qing AU - Zhang,Ji-Fang AU - Xiang,Ying DA - 2020/11/01 DO - 10.3892/ol.2020.12001 IS - 5 JO - Oncol Lett KW - ovarian cancer natural products molecular mechanisms antitumor PY - 2020 SN - 1792-1074 1792-1082 SP - 141 ST - Antitumor effects and molecular mechanisms of action of natural products in ovarian cancer (Review) T2 - Oncology Letters TI - Antitumor effects and molecular mechanisms of action of natural products in ovarian cancer (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2020.12001 VL - 20 ER -