Cancer Prevention by Natural Compounds

Abstract

Increasing attention is being paid to the possibility of applying cancer chemopreventive agents for individuals at high risk of neoplastic development. For this purpose by natural compounds have practical advantages with regard to availability, suitability for oral application, regulatory approval and mechanisms of action. Candidate substances such as phytochemicals present in foods and their derivatives have been identified by a combination of epidemiological and experimental studies. Plant constituents include vitamin derivatives, phenolic and flavonoid agents, organic sulfur compounds, isothiocyanates, curcumins, fatty acids and d-limonene. Examples of compounds from animals are unsaturated fatty acids and lactoferrin. Recent studies have indicated that mechanisms underlying chemopreventive potential may be combinations of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, and anti-hormone effects, with modification of drug-metabolizing enzymes, influence on the cell cycle and cell differentiation, induction of apoptosis and suppression of proliferation and angiogenesis playing roles in the initiation and secondary modification stages of neoplastic development. Accordingly, natural agents are advantageous for application to humans because of their combined mild mechanism. Here we review naturally occurring compounds useful for cancer chemprevention based on in vivo studies with reference to their structures, sources and mechanisms of action.

Pharmaceutical properties of supramolecular assembly of co-loaded cardanol/triazole-halloysite systems

“…The development of drugs that specifically target tumor cells, but not normal cells, represents a common goal. Natural compounds contain various types of medicinal ingredients, including vitamin derivatives, phenolic and flavonoid agents, organic sulfur compounds, isothiocyanates, curcumins, fatty acids and D-limonene (Amin et al, 2009;Gullett et al, 2010;Tsuda et al, 2004), and sufficient evidences have demonstrated that these components can substantially inhibit tumor formation (Amin et al, 2009).…”

Cancer Chemopreventive Effect of Spirogyra Neglecta (Hassall) Kützing on Diethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Rats

“…These electrophiles commonly conjugate with glutathione by glutathione S-transferase, which prevents them from forming DNA adducts. Some publications have reported that the induction of glutathione S-transferase activity is correlated with cancer prevention (Puatanachokchai et al, 2002;Tsuda et al, 2004). Our previous studies also showed that S neglecta enhanced some hepatic antioxidant enzymes in rats (Thumvijit et al, 2013b).…”

Anti-/pro-apoptotic effects of hesperetin against 7,12-dimetylbenz(a)anthracene-induced alteration in animals

“…Flavonoids act as general cell growth inhibitors and apoptosis inducers, which makes them prime candidates in the development of new anticancer compounds (27)(28)(29). Also, several studies have shown that flavonoids are protective against DMBA-induced rat mammary tumorigenesis (30,31).…”