Functions of polyphenols and its anticancer properties in biomedical research: a narrative review

Abstract

Cancer is a major health concern as the incidence is growing worldwide and still lacks successful therapies. Plant-derived functional foods are getting considerable attention, primarily due to their safety and therapeutic potential. Polyphenols are a group of mostly natural, water-soluble organic compounds.Here, we review the functions of selected polyphenols and their anticancer properties on numerous cancer cell lines and their mechanisms. The literature search was performed using the electronic database PubMed, Google scholar up to June 2020, with the following keywords-polyphenol, polyphenol anticancer, quercetin anticancer, resveratrol anticancer, curcumin anticancer, and kaempferol anticancer. Chemical structures of the selected polyphenols were obtained using the ChemDraw program. The initial search identified 40,554 polyphenols papers and among that, 2,559 were limited to polyphenol and cancer, 987 quercetin and cancer, 2,174 curcumin and cancer, 1,079 resveratrol and cancer, and 226 were limited to kaempferol and cancer.A total of 84 papers are included in this review paper. Most studies report the multiple anticarcinogenic properties of plant-derived polyphenols, including its inhibitory effects on the proliferation of cancer cells, tumor expansion, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. Besides, some studies shows potential synergistic effects when polyphenol treatment combined with chemotherapeutic agents. Anticancer effects of polyphenolic compounds like quercetin, curcumin, resveratrol, and kaempferol are investigated on numerous cancer cell lines and have shown prominent results. The present review provides a direction to determine the anticarcinogenic ability of the selected polyphenols in vitro and in vivo. Consequently, the use of polyphenols in cancer treatment should be investigated in-depth in the future.

Iridin Induces G2/M Phase Cell Cycle Arrest and Extrinsic Apoptotic Cell Death through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in AGS Gastric Cancer Cells

“…Natural flavonoids have received considerable attention as substitutes for developing novel antineoplastic agents in recent years [ 17 ]. Polyphenols are a group of organic compounds involving flavonoids (e.g., flavanols, flavones, anthocyanins, isoflavonoids, flavonols, and flavanones) and nonflavonoids (e.g., xanthones, lignans, phenolic acids, tannins, and stilbenes) [ 18 ]. Flavonoids are secondary metabolites consisting of a benzopyrone ring with phenolic or poly-phenolic groups attached at different positions and are abundant in fruits, flowers, seeds, stems, cereals, nuts, vegetables, and herbs [ 19 ].…”

Aqueous Extract of Dacryodes edulis (Burseraceae) Leaves Inhibited Tumor Growth in Female Wistar Rats with 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-Induced Breast Cancer

“…is antioxidant capacity of D. edulis led some authors to suggest that this plant may help in preventing oxidative damage associated with cancer [28]. A phytochemical assay we recently performed [4] with the aqueous extract of D. edulis leaves indicated the presence of a wide range of bioactive compounds (flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, and flavonols) endowed with antiproliferative and anticancer activities [29]. In addition, this plant extract was reported to inhibit cell growth and proliferation induced by estradiol on the uterus and vagina of female Wistar rats [4], supporting in part the hypothesis according to which this plant may help against cancer diseases [28].…”

Exploiting the Potential of Bioactive Molecules Extracted by Ultrasounds from Avocado Peels—Food and Nutraceutical Applications

“…Natural products or their derivatives are promising alternatives for anti-cancer therapeutics. Some studies have confirmed that polyphenol-rich extracts from natural resources possess health benefits by delaying tumor onset [ 59 ]. The anticarcinogenic properties of these molecules are related with their capacity to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, apoptosis, and inflammation [ 60 ].…”