eISSN 2288-3657
pISSN 2288-3649
pISSN 2288-3649
Chemopreventive and anticarcinogenic effects of flavonoids and underlying mechanisms of action
| Type of cancer explored with phytochemical flavonoid | Mechanism of action | Results | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast cancer | Isoflavone inhibits c-erB-2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 signaling pathways. Also affects IGF-1R/p-Akt signaling transduction. Quercetin controls the NF-κB signaling system through modulation of target genes Bcl-2 and Bax. |
By controlling the NF-B signaling system and its target genes Bcl-2 and Bax, it causes tumor cell apoptosis. After 4 weeks of tumor inoculation, a study reveals that quercetin and green tea coupled with a diet exert a stronger inhibition of tumor growth in mice with malignancies than green tea alone, and this combination therapy reduces the tumor growth by 47% compared to control. This cotreatment boosts non-methylated EGCG by 1.8 times while also enhancing tissue concentrations of total green tea polyphenols by 1.5 times. |
[6,7] |
| Prostate cancer | Deactivates tumor suppressor gene and oncogene products via cytochrome p450 isozyme inhibition. DNA methylation of CpG islands via DNMT, histone acetylation via HAT and histone deacetylation via HDAC. |
Isoflavones improve the effectiveness of current treatments by sensitizing cells to chemotherapy. In 2018, a clinical trial on isoflavones where 40 mg of daily purified isoflavones and placebo were monitored for 2-6 weeks. The results showed a change in levels of Ki-67 in prostate tumor cells. |
[7,36] |
| Colon cancer | Suppresses K-Ras and β-catenin expression. | Flavonoids lutein and zeaxanthin reduce the risk of colon cancer. Beta-Caroteine inhibits the growth of tumors in the skin, lung, liver, and colon. |
[6,41] |
c-erB-2, humanized epidermal growth factor receptor 2; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; IGF-1R, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor; p-Akt, phosphorylated protein kinase B; Bcl-2, B-cell lymphoma 2; Bax, Bcl-2-associated X protein; EGCG, epigallocatechin-3-gallate; p450, cytochrome p450 enzyme; CpG, cytosine-phosphate-guanine; DNMT, DNA methyltransferase; HAT, histone acetyltransferase; HDAC, histone deacetylase inhibitors; Ki-67, tumor cell proliferation and growth marker; K-Ras, kirsten rat sarcoma virus.
J Cancer Prev 2024;29:58~68 https://doi.org/10.15430/JCP.24.020
© J Cancer Prev
© Korean Society of Cancer Prevention. / Powered by INFOrang Co., Ltd