Polyphenols as Modulator of Oxidative Stress in Cancer Disease: New Therapeutic Strategies

Abstract

Cancer onset and progression have been linked to oxidative stress by increasing DNA mutations or inducing DNA damage, genome instability, and cell proliferation and therefore antioxidant agents could interfere with carcinogenesis. It is well known that conventional radio-/chemotherapies influence tumour outcome through ROS modulation. Since these antitumour treatments have important side effects, the challenge is to develop new anticancer therapeutic strategies more effective and less toxic for patients. To this purpose, many natural polyphenols have emerged as very promising anticancer bioactive compounds. Beside their well-known antioxidant activities, several polyphenols target epigenetic processes involved in cancer development through the modulation of oxidative stress. An alternative strategy to the cytotoxic treatment is an approach leading to cytostasis through the induction of therapy-induced senescence. Many anticancer polyphenols cause cellular growth arrest through the induction of a ROS-dependent premature senescence and are considered promising antitumour therapeutic tools. Furthermore, one of the most innovative and interesting topics is the evaluation of efficacy of prooxidant therapies on cancer stem cells (CSCs). Several ROS inducers-polyphenols can impact CSCs metabolisms and self-renewal related pathways. Natural polyphenol roles, mainly in chemoprevention and cancer therapies, are described and discussed in the light of the current literature data.

Effect of the polyphenol composition BP‑C3 on haematological and intestinal indicators of 5‑fluorouracil toxicity in mice

“…Second, various compounds in this chemical group have been demonstrated to have their own anti-tumour activity. Polyphenol compounds slow the growth of various cancer cell lines and also inhibit carcinogenesis in vivo (23)(24)(25). Various plant agents, including genistein, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, resveratrol and proanthocyanidin, are able to potentiate the effectiveness of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs (22).…”

“…Antioxidants may protect normal tissue without affecting the effectiveness of anti-tumour chemotherapeutic drugs (28,29). Paradoxically, polyphenols exert an antioxidant effect on healthy cells, while in cancer cells they increase free radicals, causing cellular aging, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (30). In the presence of copper ions, of which there are more in cancer cells than in normal cells (31), at least some polyphenols (luteolin, apigenin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate and resveratrol) act as pro-oxidants.…”

Antioxidant, Enzyme-Inhibitory and Antitumor Activity of the Wild Dietary Plant Muscari comosum (L.) Mill.

“…7,8 Due to their ROS-scavenging and antioxidative action, plant phenols have a dosedependent inhibition on the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. 9,10 One of the most important strategies in the treatment of obesity includes inhibitors of nutrient digestion in an attempt to reduce energy intake through pancreatic lipase and amylase inhibition. 11,12 The lipase hydrolyzes a molecule of triglyceride in position 1 and 3, releasing fatty acid and 2-monoglyceride.…”

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of two bean cultivars (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) submitted to cooking

“…reduction in lipid oxidation, prevention of atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension and cancer), it is important to evaluate their stability after processing, because factors such as temperature and time can affect their concentration (ZARGHAM; ZARGHAM, 2008;HUANG et al, 2013;MILEO;MICCADEI, 2016). In relation to the effect of processing on the phenolic profile of beans, Telles et al (2017) affirmed that raw beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) can present significant values of chlorogenic, gallic and protocatechuic acid.…”