The antitumor activities of flavonoids
- PMID: 16097445
The antitumor activities of flavonoids
Erratum in
- In Vivo. 2007 May-Jun;21(3):553. Kanadaswami, Chithan [corrected to Kandaswami, Chithan]
- In Vivo. 2007 Nov-Dec;21(6):1172
Abstract
The flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found as integral components of the human diet. They are universally present as constituents of flowering plants, particularly of food plants. The flavonoids are phenyl substituted chromones (benzopyran derivatives) consisting of a 15-carbon basic skeleton (C6-C3-C6), composed of a chroman (C6-C3) nucleus (the benzo ring A and the heterocyclic ring C), also shared by the tocopherols, with a phenyl (the aromatic ring B) substitution usually at the 2-position. Different substitutions can typically occur in the rings, A and B. Several plants and spices containing flavonoid derivatives have found application as disease preventive and therapeutic agents in traditional medicine in Asia for thousands of years. The selection of a particular food plant, plant tissue or herb for its potential health benefits appears to mirror its flavonoid composition. The much lower risk of colon, prostate and breast cancers in Asians, who consume more vegetables, fruits and tea than populations in the Western hemisphere do, raises the question of whether flavonoid components mediate the protective effects of diets rich in these foodstuffs by acting as natural chemopreventive and anticancer agents. An impressive body of information exists on the antitumor action of plantflavonoids. In vitro work has concentrated on the direct and indirect actions of flavonoids on tumor cells, and has found a variety of anticancer effects such as cell growth and kinase activity inhibition, apoptosis induction, suppression of the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and of tumor invasive behavior. Furthermore, some studies have reported the impairment of in vivo angiogenesis by dietary flavonoids. Experimental animal studies indicate that certain dietary flavonoids possess antitumor activity. The hydroxylation pattern of the B ring of the flavones and flavonols, such as luteolin and quercetin, seems to critically influence their activities, especially the inhibition of protein kinase activity and antiproliferation. The different mechanisms underlying the potential anticancer action of plant flavonoids await further elucidation. Certain dietary flavonols and flavones targeting cell surface signal transduction enzymes, such as protein tyrosine and focal adhesion kinases, and the processes of angiogenesis appear to be promising candidates as anticancer agents. Further in vivo studies of these bioactive constituents is deemed necessary in order to develop flavonoid-based anticancer strategies. In view of the increasing interest in the association between dietary flavonoids and cancer initiation and progression, this important field is likely to witness expanded effort and to attract and stimulate further vigorous investigations.
Similar articles
-
Recent Insights into Therapeutic Potential of Plant-Derived Flavonoids against Cancer.Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2022;22(20):3343-3369. doi: 10.2174/1871520622666220421094055. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2022. PMID: 35593353 Review.
-
The Role of Polyphenol (Flavonoids) Compounds in the Treatment of Cancer Cells.Nutr Cancer. 2020;72(3):386-397. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2019.1637006. Epub 2019 Jul 9. Nutr Cancer. 2020. PMID: 31287738 Review.
-
Studies of structure-activity relationship on plant polyphenol-induced suppression of human liver cancer cells.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2009 May;63(6):1007-16. doi: 10.1007/s00280-008-0802-y. Epub 2008 Sep 3. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2009. PMID: 18766342
-
New insights on the anticancer properties of dietary polyphenols.Med Res Rev. 2006 Nov;26(6):747-66. doi: 10.1002/med.20060. Med Res Rev. 2006. PMID: 16710860 Review.
-
Flavonoids: promising anticancer agents.Med Res Rev. 2003 Jul;23(4):519-34. doi: 10.1002/med.10033. Med Res Rev. 2003. PMID: 12710022 Review.
Cited by
-
The Potential Role of Phytochemicals of Juniperus procera in the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer and the Inhibition of Human Topoisomerase II Alpha Activity.Bioinform Biol Insights. 2024 Apr 25;18:11779322241248904. doi: 10.1177/11779322241248904. eCollection 2024. Bioinform Biol Insights. 2024. PMID: 38681095 Free PMC article.
-
Integrative Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Sheds Light on Flavonoid Biosynthesis in the Fruiting Body of Stropharia rugosoannulata.J Fungi (Basel). 2024 Mar 27;10(4):254. doi: 10.3390/jof10040254. J Fungi (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38667925 Free PMC article.
-
Ethnobotany and phytochemistry of plants used to treat musculoskeletal disorders among Skaw Karen, Thailand.Pharm Biol. 2024 Dec;62(1):62-104. doi: 10.1080/13880209.2023.2292261. Epub 2023 Dec 22. Pharm Biol. 2024. PMID: 38131672 Free PMC article.
-
The Role and Mechanism of Perilla frutescens in Cancer Treatment.Molecules. 2023 Aug 4;28(15):5883. doi: 10.3390/molecules28155883. Molecules. 2023. PMID: 37570851 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Favorable Antitumor Activity of Citrus microcarpa B. on Human Colon Adenocarcinoma Tumor Xenografted in Immunosupressed Mice.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023 Jul 1;24(7):2253-2258. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.7.2253. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2023. PMID: 37505754 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Miscellaneous