Species of orchids, which belong to the largest family of flowering plants, are commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of infections and tumors. However, little is known about the actual chemical composition of these plants and their anticancer properties. In this paper, the most recent literature on orchid-derived bioactive substances with anticancer properties is reviewed. For the assessment, previous papers on the anticancer activity of Orchidaceae published since 2015 were considered. The papers were found by exploring electronic databases. According to the available data, many species of orchids contain potential antitumor chemicals. The bioactive substances in a relatively insignificant number of orchids are identified, and most studies are on Asian taxa. Broader research on American and African species and the correct identification of samples included in the experiments are essential for evaluating the usefulness of orchids as a plant family with vast anticancer potential.

Department of Biodiversity Research Global Change Research Institute AS CR Bělidla 986 4a 603 00 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany Medical University of Lodz Muszynskiego 1 90 151 Lodz Poland

Department of Geobotany and Plant Ecology Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection University of Lodz Banacha 12 16 90 237 Lodz Poland

Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Genetics University of Lodz Banacha 12 16 90 237 Lodz Poland

Laboratory of Medical Genetics Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection University of Lodz 90 236 Lodz Poland

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