scholarly journals Flavonoids: A Myth or a Reality for Cancer Therapy?

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 3583
Author(s):  
Cinzia Forni ◽  
Massimiliano Rossi ◽  
Ilaria Borromeo ◽  
Giordana Feriotto ◽  
Giovambattista Platamone ◽  
...  

Nutraceuticals are biologically active molecules present in foods; they can have beneficial effects on health, but they are not available in large enough quantities to perform this function. Plant metabolites, such as polyphenols, are widely diffused in the plant kingdom, where they play fundamental roles in plant development and interactions with the environment. Among these, flavonoids are of particular interest as they have significant effects on human health. In vitro and/or in vivo studies described flavonoids as essential nutrients for preventing several diseases. They display broad and promising bioactivities to fight cancer, inflammation, bacterial infections, as well as to reduce the severity of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases or diabetes. Therefore, it is not surprising that interest in flavonoids has sharply increased in recent years. More than 23,000 scientific publications on flavonoids have described the potential anticancer activity of these natural molecules in the last decade. Studies, in vitro and in vivo, show that flavonoids exhibit anticancer properties, and many epidemiological studies confirm that dietary intake of flavonoids leads to a reduced risk of cancer. This review provides a glimpse of the mechanisms of action of flavonoids on cancer cells.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4025
Author(s):  
Linda Nezbedova ◽  
Tony McGhie ◽  
Mark Christensen ◽  
Julian Heyes ◽  
Noha Ahmed Nasef ◽  
...  

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Epidemiological studies have strongly linked a diet high in fruits to a lower incidence of cancer. Furthermore, extensive research shows that secondary plant metabolites known as phytochemicals, which are commonly found in fruits, have onco-preventive and chemo-protective effects. Apple is a commonly consumed fruit worldwide that is available all year round and is a rich source of phytochemicals. In this review, we summarize the association of apple consumption with cancer incidence based on findings from epidemiological and cohort studies. We further provide a comprehensive review of the main phytochemical patterns observed in apples and their bioavailability after consumption. Finally, we report on the latest findings from in vitro and in vivo studies highlighting some of the key molecular mechanisms targeted by apple phytochemicals in relation to inhibiting multiple ‘hallmarks of cancer’ that are important in the progression of cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-10
Author(s):  
L.I. Nikolaeva

Bifidobacteria occupy a special place among various representatives of normal human microbiota. A wide range of probiotic preparations has been obtained based on cultivated strains of various bifidobacteria of the intestinal microbiota. A number of scientific publications noted the immunomodulatory, anticarcinogenic, and antiviral properties of bifidobacteria in vitro and in vivo. Recently, progress has been made in the research and application of this group of microorganisms in genetic engineering. It was established that vaccines against viral and bacterial infections and antitumor substances can be developed on the basis of various strains of bifidobacteria. Bifidobacteria can also be used as adjuvants for other vaccines, as well as delivery systems for biologically active substances to tumors. The prospects for the use of bifidobacteria for the development of recombinant vaccines are discussed. bifidobacteria, medical and biological properties, recombinant vaccines, drug delivery, adjuvants, plasmids This work was funded by the Epidemiology and Microbiology National Research Center. The authors are grateful to V. V. Kuprianov for valuable comments on the text of the review.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (37) ◽  
pp. 4888-4902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilda D'Urso ◽  
Sonia Piacente ◽  
Cosimo Pizza ◽  
Paola Montoro

The consumption of berry-type fruits has become very popular in recent years because of their positive effects on human health. Berries are in fact widely known for their health-promoting benefits, including prevention of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Berries are a rich source of bioactive metabolites, such as vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, mainly anthocyanins. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies recognized the health effects of berries and their function as bioactive modulators of various cell functions associated with oxidative stress. Plants have one of the largest metabolome databases, with over 1200 papers on plant metabolomics published only in the last decade. Mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) are the most important analytical technologies on which the emerging ''omics'' approaches are based. They may provide detection and quantization of thousands of biologically active metabolites from a tissue, working in a ''global'' or ''targeted'' manner, down to ultra-trace levels. In the present review, we highlighted the use of MS and NMR-based strategies and Multivariate Data Analysis for the valorization of berries known for their biological activities, important as food and often used in the preparation of nutraceutical formulations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. L. Maruthanila ◽  
J. Poornima ◽  
S. Mirunalini

Rising evidence provides credible support towards the potential role of bioactive products derived from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, turnips, kohlrabi, bok choy, and radishes. Many epidemiological studies point out thatBrassicavegetable protects humans against cancer since they are rich sources of glucosinolates in addition to possessing a high content of flavonoids, vitamins, and mineral nutrients. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) belongs to the class of compounds called indole glucosinolate, obtained from cruciferous vegetables, and is well-known for tits anticancer properties. In particular, I3C and its dimeric product, 3,3′-diindolylmethane (DIM), have been generally investigated for their value against a number of human cancersin vitroas well asin vivo. This paper reviews an in-depth study of the anticancer activity and the miscellaneous mechanisms underlying the anticarcinogenicity thereby broadening its therapeutic marvel.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1743
Author(s):  
Solmaz Rahmani Barouji ◽  
Amir Saber ◽  
Mohammadali Torbati ◽  
Seyyed Mohammad Bagher Fazljou ◽  
Ahmad Yari Khosroushahi

raditional medicine (TM) that developed over the years within various societies consists of medical experimental knowledge and practices, which apply natural methods and compounds for general wellness and healing. Moomiaii as a pale-brown to blackish-brown natural exudate is one of the natural compounds in traditional medicine that has been used over 3000 years in many countries of the world especially in India, China, Russia, Iran, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan. We reviewed all English-language studies about Moomiaii that we accessed them. In traditional medicine, many beneficial activities have been attributed to Moomiaii and to its main constituents, Humic acid and Fulvic acid, which are widely used to prevent and treatment of different diseases. Some modern scientific investigations showed that Moomiaii as a safe dietary supplement can be beneficial in various health complications. Even though the beneficial effects of Moomiaii have been confirmed in traditional and modern medicine, it seems that additional in-vitro/in-vivo studies and comprehensive clinical trials are necessary to explain the whole mechanisms of action and to determine the effective doses in various diseases. We discuss and clarify the claimed health beneficial effects of Moomiaii in some wide-spread diseases regarding its anti-ulcerogenic, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, antioxidative and anticancer properties. [GMJ.2020;9:e1743]


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 642
Author(s):  
Magdalena Milczarek ◽  
Michał Chodyński ◽  
Anita Pietraszek ◽  
Martyna Stachowicz-Suhs ◽  
Kaori Yasuda ◽  
...  

Experimental data indicate that low-calcemic vitamin D derivatives (VDDs) exhibit anticancer properties, both in vitro and in vivo. In our search for a vitamin D analog as potential anticancer agent, we investigated the influence of chirality in the side chain of the derivatives of 1,25-dihydroxyergocalciferol (1,25D2) on their activities. In this study, we synthesized modified analogs at the side chain and the A-ring, which differed from one another in their absolute configuration at C-24, namely (24S)- and (24R)-1,25-dihydroxy-19-nor-20a-homo-ergocalciferols (PRI-5105 and PRI-5106, respectively), and evaluated their activity. Unexpectedly, despite introducing double-point modifications, both analogs served as very good substrates for the vitamin D-hydroxylating enzyme. Irrespective of their absolute C-24 configuration, PRI-5105 and PRI-5106 showed relatively low resistance to CYP24A1-dependent metabolic deactivation. Additionally, both VDDs revealed a similar antiproliferative activity against HT-29 colorectal cancer cells which was higher than that of 1,25D3, the major biologically active metabolite of vitamin D. Furthermore, PRI-5105 and PRI-5106 significantly enhanced the cell growth-inhibitory activity of 5-fluorouracil on HT-29 cell line. In conclusion, although the two derivatives showed a relatively high anticancer potential, they exhibited undesired high metabolic conversion.


1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 3059-3065 ◽  
Author(s):  
David E. Johnson ◽  
C. Virginia Lockatell ◽  
Robert G. Russell ◽  
J. Richard Hebel ◽  
Michael D. Island ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Urinary tract infection, most frequently caused byEscherichia coli, is one of the most common bacterial infections in humans. A vast amount of literature regarding the mechanisms through which E. coli induces pyelonephritis has accumulated. Although cystitis accounts for 95% of visits to physicians for symptoms of urinary tract infections, few in vivo studies have investigated possible differences between E. coli recovered from patients with clinical symptoms of cystitis and that from patients with symptoms of pyelonephritis. Epidemiological studies indicate that cystitis-associated strains appear to differ from pyelonephritis-associated strains in elaboration of some putative virulence factors. With transurethrally challenged mice we studied possible differences using three each of the most virulent pyelonephritis and cystitis E. coli strains in our collection. The results indicate that cystitis strains colonize the bladder more rapidly than do pyelonephritis strains, while the rates of kidney colonization are similar. Cystitis strains colonize the bladder in higher numbers, induce more pronounced histologic changes in the bladder, and are more rapidly eliminated from the mouse urinary tract than pyelonephritis strains. These results provide evidence that cystitis strains differ from pyelonephritis strains in this model, that this model is useful for the study of the uropathogenicity of cystitis strains, and that it would be unwise to use pyelonephritis strains to study putative virulence factors important in the development of cystitis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 52-59
Author(s):  
Rajeev Sati ◽  
Monika Bisht

Holmskioldia sanguinea Retz. is a Sub-Himalayan plant that has been cultivated in the Americas, Europe, Indo-china, Asia-Pacific, and Southern Africa. It has been used traditionally to treat rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis, dysentery, headaches, hypertension, boils, blain, ulcers, and gynaecological problems, as well as a blood purifying concoction. The botanical description of the plant, its phytochemical constituents, and its pharmacological activities are discussed, with an emphasis on antibacterial, antihepatotoxic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, central nervous system depressant, diuretic, oestrogenic, anti-implantation, and anticancer properties. Most pharmacological effects are a result of plant constituents such as alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides and phenols, to name a few. Conventional wisdom should be confirmed through in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as clinical trials. Herb's anti-tumor and anti-cancer properties have generated significant interest.


Author(s):  
Samira Makanjuola ◽  
Olajuwon Okubena ◽  
Louis Ajonuma ◽  
Adedoyin Dosunmu ◽  
Solomon Umukoro ◽  
...  

The West-African variety of Sorghum bicolor leaf sheath (SBLS) Jobelyn® is a natural remedy, which has gained international recognition for its anti-anemic effect and energy boosting qualities in debilitating diseases. The widespread use of traditional medicine in the region usually confirms its safety, but not its efficacy or deep assessment of their pharmacological properties. The other major issue for herbal-based treatments is the lack of definite and complete information about the composition of the extracts.  Despite limitations, efforts have been made in isolation and characterisation of active compounds in this specie of sorghum showing various subclasses of flavonoids including apigeninidin, a stable 3-deoxyanthocyanidin and potential fungal growth inhibitor, which accounts for 84% of the total extract. Non-clinical in vitro and in vivo studies support previous indications that this variety of Sorghum bicolor possesses several biologically active compounds with potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and neuro-protective properties.  Clinical studies show that SBLS has the ability to boost hemoglobin concentrations in anemic conditions and most remarkably to increase CD4 count in HIV-positive patients. The multiple effects and high safety profiles of this extract may encourage its development as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of anemia, chronic inflammatory conditions or in the symptomatic management of HIV infections. This review describes the potential therapeutic aspects of SBLS extract and its potential benefits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL4) ◽  
pp. 1573-1580
Author(s):  
Savita Belwal ◽  
Sujana Kariveda ◽  
Saritha Ramagiri ◽  
Swathi A ◽  
Shubham Kute ◽  
...  

The green biological route has been employed to convert macro-sized zinc and copper metal complexes into nano-sized metal complexes. These bioactive metal complexes were synthesized by template condensation process in the chemistry laboratory. The newly synthesized biologically active complexes were converted into nano range from phytochemical aqueous extract of Macrotyloma uniflorum (horse gram). Biologically converted nano complexes have been characterized by physicochemical as well as spectroscopic techniques such as UV-visible spectrophotometer and FTIR. The reduced Cu and Zn metal nanoparticles were analyzed with SEM for shape and size, which showed most of the nanoparticles, were nearly spherical with nano range size. To estimate the potentiality of newly manufactured copper and zinc nanoparticles in vitro  and in in vivo  studies, i.e. antifungal and antibacterial and anti-cancer activities were performed. The biogenic nanoparticles of Cu and Zn were evaluated for their activity on cancer A-549 cell lines by standard MTT assay for metabolically active mitochondria and cell viability. Further flow cytometric studies showed Cu, and Zn nano complexes had inhibition efficacy of cancer cells compared to normal cells. This study elevates that biosynthesized Cu & Zn nano complexes can be an alternative for the treatment of cancer.


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