Chemoprevention with Phytonutrients and Microalgae Products in Chronic Inflammation and Colon Cancer

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder caused by deregulated immune responses in a genetically predisposed individual. This is a complex process mediated by cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, cytoplasm nuclear receptors, among others. Recent data support a participation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in IBD. Moreover, now it is evident that chronic degenerative pathologies, including IBD, share comparable disease mechanisms at the cellular level with alteration of the autophagy mechanisms. Mounting evidence suggests that the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) is dramatically increased in patients with chronic inflammatory disease. Chronic inflammation in IBD exposes these patients to a number of signals known to have tumorigenic effects including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, proinflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins release and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Chemoprevention consists in the use of drugs, vitamins, or nutritional supplements to reduce the risk of developing, or having a recurrence of cancer. Numerous in vitro and animal studies have established the potential colon cancer chemopreventive properties of phytochemicals derived from both plants (curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin or genistein) and substances from marine environment, including microalgae species and their products. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which these naturally occurring compounds may mediate chemopreventive effects on cancer. These actions include induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, stimulation of antimetastatic and antiangiogenic responses and increased antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Trials with ‘epigenetic’ drugs: An update

“…Patients with colon cancer received treatment with resveratrol, and correlative laboratory studies examined its effects directly on colon cancer and normal colonic mucosa. Resveratrol may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes required for cell growth, and by inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, inhibition of cell proliferation, stimulation of antiangiogenic responses and increased antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activity (Talero et al., 2012). The activity of resveratrol shows great potential in the prevention and therapy of a wide variety of human diseases.…”

Jacalin Has Chemopreventive Effects on Colon Cancer Development

“…Moreover, phytonutrients have received considerable attention because of their low cost and wide safety. Experimental evidence has established the potential colorectal cancer chemopreventive effects of plant-derived natural products [4, 5]. …”

Diphenylene iodonium interferes with cell cycle progression and induces apoptosis by modulating NAD(P)H oxidase/ROS/cell cycle regulatory pathways in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells

“…For example, polyphenols have been reported to target cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and scavenge ROS in tumor cells, indicating the antitumorigenic potentials of these compounds (23). In addition to the polyphenol compounds derived from phytonutrients, microalgal products have also exhibited chemopreventative activities in cancer cells (24). The chemical compound dibenziodolium chloride (DPI), which is a potent inhibitor of NOX, is thought to significantly suppress ROS levels, and Yamaura et al reported that inhibition of NOX activity by DPI arrests melanoma cells at the G2-M phase of the cell cycle (25).…”