Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer, accounting for approximately 75–85% of all cases. Despite being the sixth most common cancer globally, HCC ranks third in cancer-related mortality, largely due to limited therapeutic options and late diagnosis. Chronic inflammation plays a central role in the onset and progression of HCC by driving oxidative stress, genetic damage, and tumor proliferation. This close link between inflammation and liver cancer highlights the need for novel therapeutic strategies targeting inflammatory pathways.

Traditional Indigenous medicinal plants, long used for treating inflammation and liver ailments, represent an underexplored resource for modern drug discovery. My research focuses on the isolation, purification, and structural characterization of bioactive compounds from selected Indigenous medicinal species with reported anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective properties. Using an ethnobotanical approach, plants were selected based on traditional use records, followed by extraction and chromatographic separation of their chemical constituents. Bioassays were employed to assess anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxicity against liver cancer cell lines.

Preliminary findings indicate that several phytochemicals derived from these plants can suppress key inflammatory mediators while exhibiting selective cytotoxicity toward liver cancer cells. These outcomes support the ethnopharmacological relevance of Indigenous medicinal knowledge and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of plant-derived compounds in addressing inflammation-linked liver cancer.

This study not only contributes to validating traditional medicinal practices but also fosters biocultural appreciation and sustainable use of Indigenous plant resources for future drug discovery efforts.