乳腺癌（BC）是世界上最常见的癌症类型。目前的治疗方法包括手术、放疗和化疗，但通常与正常组织的高毒性、化疗耐药性和复发有关。因此，开发能够克服这些局限性的新疗法对于有效治疗至关重要。在这种背景下，植物化学物质因其安全性、有效靶向肿瘤的能力以及规避现有治疗方法的局限性而越来越受欢迎。精油 (EO) 是多种植物化学物质的混合物，在临床前 BC 模型中显示出潜在的抗癌活性。然而，其临床转化受到高挥发性、低稳定性和溶解性差等因素的限制。纳米技术促进了它们在各种纳米结构中的封装，并被证明可以克服这些限制。在这篇综述中，我们有效地总结了目前关于 EO 及其成分在体外和体内 BC 模型中的抗癌作用的知识。此外，我们还描述了纳米技术在增强 EO 及其成分的抗 BC 活性方面​​的潜力。本综述中讨论的论文是使用 PubMed 和 ScienceDirect 数据库中执行的关键词“乳腺癌中的抗增殖精油”、“乳腺癌中精油的抗癌活性”和“乳腺癌中精油的细胞毒性”进行选择的。© 2023作者们。约翰·威利出版的植物疗法研究

Breast Cancer (BC) is the most prevalent type of cancer in the world. Current treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy but often are associated with high toxicity to normal tissues, chemoresistance, and relapse. Thus, developing novel therapies which could combat these limitations is essential for effective treatment. In this context, phytochemicals are increasingly getting popular due to their safety profile, ability to efficiently target tumors, and circumvent limitations of existing treatments. Essential Oils (EOs) are mixtures of various phytochemicals which have shown potential anticancer activity in preclinical BC models. However, their clinical translation is limited by factors such as high volatility, low stability, and poor solubility. Nanotechnology has facilitated their encapsulation in a variety of nanostructures and proven to overcome these limitations. In this review, we have efficiently summarized the current knowledge on the anticancer effect of EOs and constituents in both in in vitro and in in vivo BC models. Further, we also provide a descriptive account on the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing the anti-BC activity of EOs and their constituents. The papers discussed in this review were selected using the keywords "antiproliferative Essential Oils in breast cancer," "anticancer activity of Essential Oil in breast cancer," and "cytotoxicity of Essential Oils in breast cancer" performed in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases.© 2023 The Authors. Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.