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Review
. 2022 Jun;12(3):394-405.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.07.002. Epub 2021 Jul 6.

Phytochemicals targeting NF-κB signaling: Potential anti-cancer interventions

Akansha Chauhan  1 , Asim Ul Islam  2 , Hridayesh Prakash  3 , Sandhya Singh  1
Affiliations
Review

Phytochemicals targeting NF-κB signaling: Potential anti-cancer interventions

Akansha Chauhan et al. J Pharm Anal. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a ubiquitous regulator of the signalome and is indispensable for various biological cell functions. NF-κB consists of five transcription factors that execute both cytoplasmic and nuclear signaling processes in cells. NF-κB is the only signaling molecule that governs both pro- and anti-apoptotic, and pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. This is due to the canonical and non-canonical components of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Together, these pathways orchestrate cancer-related inflammation, hyperplasia, neoplasia, and metastasis. Non-canonical NF-κB pathways are particularly involved in the chemoresistance of cancer cells. In view of its pivotal role in cancer progression, NF-κB represents a potentially significant therapeutic target for modifying tumor cell behavior. Several phytochemicals are known to modulate NF-κB pathways through the stabilization of its inhibitor, IκB, by inhibiting phosphorylation and ubiquitination thereof. Several natural pharmacophores are known to inhibit the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and associated pro-inflammatory responses and cell survival pathways. In view of this and the high degree of specificity exhibited by various phytochemicals for the NF-κB component, we herein present an in-depth overview of these phytochemicals and discuss their mode of interaction with the NF-κB signaling pathways for controlling the fate of tumor cells for cancer-directed interventions.

Keywords: Cancer; Chemoprevention; Inflammation; Phytochemicals; Transcription factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The two NF-κB pathways: the classical and alternate pathways.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Chemical structures of Polyphenols targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Chemical structures of monoterpenoids targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Chemical structures of sesquiterpenes targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Chemical structures of diterpenoids targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Chemical structures of triterpenoids targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Chemical structures of carotenoid terpenoids targeting NF-κB.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Chemical structures of alkaloids targeting NF-κB.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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