Garlic‐derived compounds: Epigenetic modulators and their antitumor effects

Abstract

Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease that poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. Despite significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, the prognosis and survival rate of cancer remain poor due to late diagnosis, drug resistance, and adverse reactions. Therefore, it is very necessary to study the development mechanism of cancer and formulate effective therapeutic interventions. As widely available bioactive substances, natural products have shown obvious anticancer potential, especially by targeting abnormal epigenetic changes. The main active part of garlic is organic sulfur compounds, of which diallyl trisulfide (DATS) content is the highest, accounting for more than 40% of the total composition. The garlic‐derived compounds have been recognized as an antioxidant for cancer prevention and treatment. However, the molecular mechanism of the antitumor effect of garlic‐derived compounds remains unclear. Recent studies have identified garlic‐derived compound DATS that plays critical roles in enhancing CpG demethylation or promoting histone acetylation as an epigenetic inhibitor. Here, we review the therapeutic progress of garlic‐derived compounds against cancer through epigenetic pathways.

Effects of Garlic on Breast Tumor Cells with a Triple Negative Phenotype: Peculiar Subtype-Dependent Down-Modulation of Akt Signaling

“…Many phytochemical compounds have been extracted from a variety of plant sources, including fruits, vegetables such as cereals, and traditional herbs such as garlic. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant, hypocholesterolemic, antihypertensive, and antitumoral effects due to its high content of active phytochemicals, such as organosulfur compounds (OSCs) and antioxidants [17][18][19][20]. Garlic OSCs have been identified as functional substances with potential benefits against invasive breast cancer, counteracting the growth, migration, and invasiveness of breast tumor cells [21].…”