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In oncology research, in vivo experiments on animal models have played and still play an essential role in understanding the etiology, evolution, diagnosis and therapy of human cancer. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of preclinical oncological studies on both experimental animals and pets that have developed spontaneous tumours, in the evolution of diagnostic methods and therapeutic management of neoplastic diseases. Also, a series of criteria underlying the elaboration of an in vivo study are emphasized, regarding the species, breed, sex, age of the animals, the selected tumour line and its purpose, taking into account the obligation to respect the ethical principles regarding the use of animals in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of functional foods becomes more and more popular, this category being represented by natural foods, foods to which a component was added, foods in which there was replaced a component, foods whose bioavailability has been modified, and any combination of the aforementioned. Besides their nutritional value, these functional foods enhances well-being and quality of life and reduce the risk of disease. This includes some natural spices. In addition to traditional uses, there are made more and more in vitro or in vivo studies in order to demonstrate the efficacy of natural spices in many diseases. In most spices used in clinical studies, researchers have examined and found that the phytocomplex usually shows an improvement over the individual components. Given the diversity of chemical composition, the use of plant products is not limited to one or two diseases, covering a wider range of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]