Anthocyanins in Colorectal Cancer Prevention Review

Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is still a big health burden worldwide. Nutrition and dietary factors are known to affect colorectal cancer development and prognosis. The protective roles of diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been previously reported to contain high levels of cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Anthocyanins are the most abundant flavonoid compounds that are responsible for the bright colors of most blue, purple, and red fruits and vegetables, and have been shown to contribute to the protective effects of fruits and vegetables against cancer and other chronic diseases. Berries and grapes are the most common anthocyanin-rich fruits with antitumor effects. The antitumor effects of anthocyanins are determined by their structures and bioavailability as well as how they are metabolized. In this review, we aimed to discuss the preventive as well as therapeutic potentials of anthocyanins in CRC. We summarized the antitumor effects of anthocyanins and the mechanisms of action. We also discussed the potential pharmaceutical application of anthocyanins in practice.

Anthocyanins: Traditional Uses, Structural and Functional Variations, Approaches to Increase Yields and Products’ Quality, Hepatoprotection, Liver Longevity, and Commercial Products

“…The bioactivity evaluations of mixture of anthocyanins in comparison to the specific anthocyanins are also available in plenty. [42,220,221].…”

Anthocyanins in Chronic Diseases: The Power of Purple

“…Anthocyanins can exert effects in colorectal and breast cancer in animal studies whereas these results have not been replicated in human studies [ 263 , 264 ]. Anthocyanins can help in preventing DNA damage from oxidative stress in the initial stage of tumour formation.…”

Influence of Plasma-Isolated Anthocyanins and Their Metabolites on Cancer Cell Migration (HT-29 and Caco-2) In Vitro: Results of the ATTACH Study

“…However, anthocyanins in fruits are primarily present as glycosides or acylated glycosides. Berries such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and grapes show anthocyanin contents between 21 and 390 mg per 100 g fresh weight [ 16 ] with peonidin and cyanidin being the major anthocyanins in grapes and berries, respectively [ 17 ]. It is well known, that due to their structural polyphenolic characteristics, anthocyanins exhibit a high antioxidative potential, e.g., because of their capability for donating electrons [ 18 ], scavenging ROS [ 19 , 20 ], preventing ROS-induced oxidative damage or influencing antioxidative enzyme expression [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…In epidemiological studies, total dietary anthocyanin intake is inversely associated with CRC [ 18 , 23 , 24 ]. In addition, numerous in vitro and in vivo studies reveal that anthocyanins are able to decelerate CRC promotion and progression by several mechanisms such as triggering cell cycle arrest and apoptosis or inhibiting proliferation and invasion by different signaling pathways [ 10 , 17 ], whereas studies regarding the anti-migratory effects of anthocyanins on colon cancer cells are scarce [ 25 , 26 , 27 ]. Nonetheless, it is also known that the bioavailability of anthocyanins is relatively low and native anthocyanins are only detectable at very low concentrations in the systemic circulation [ 28 , 29 ].…”

“…Recently, it has been shown that microbially metabolized anthocyanin compounds account for the majority of absorbed berry phenols [ 30 ]. Moreover, these anthocyanin metabolites also show bioactive properties and seem to be more effective than native anthocyanins to reduce Caco-2 cell proliferation [ 17 ]. In this context, we have recently shown for the first time that physiological concentrations of anthocyanins and their metabolites isolated from the plasma of healthy volunteers after a single dose of an anthocyanin-rich juice were able to reduce tumor cell migration of the pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 in vitro [ 31 ].…”