Autophagy is a vital programmed cell death mode widely existing in the eukaryotic cells. During the process

cytoplasmic proteins and organelles are wrapped by single or double-membrane auto-phagosomes

and then integrated with lysosomes into auto-lysosomes

so as to finally degrade the wrapped content

and achieve self-digestion and organelles renewal. Autophagy gets involved in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes and closely related to tumorigenesis. Under normal circumstances

autophagy could clear misfolded proteins and organelles

leading to the suppression of stress reaction and downregulation of cancer incidence. However

although autophagy is primarily a protective metabolic pathway for cells

it can also promote tumor viability by degrading abnormal proteins and organelles in cancer cells. In recent years

more and more experimental evidences have indicated that active components of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)

like alkaloids

flavonoids

saponins and cardiac glycosides

could induce autophagy of tumour cells. In this review

based on active components of TCM medicine and molecular mechanisms of autophagy in cancer cells

we summarize the research progress of autophagy induced by TCM

in order to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of tumour with TCM.