Abstract
Apoptosis or programmed cell death is a carefully synchronized collapse of cells due to protein degradation, fragmentation of DNA. It is an essential part of the life cycle of every multicellular organism including worms to humans. Apoptosis plays a major role in cancer development as well. Various studies confirm the potential of many drugs to change the regulation and ratio of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors. Plants are the best-known source of drugs for various kinds of diseases including cancer. Plant secondary metabolites (alkaloids, terpenes and phenolics) are the major constituents used as drugs. Several studies confirm that these secondary metabolites can induce apoptosis by triggering proapoptotic and antiapoptotic factors. In this article, some of the important secondary metabolites and their mode of action as apoptotic triggering agents have been studied.