The aim of this review is to obtain a further understanding of the reported inhibitory effects of polyphenols on cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis process and the probable mechanisms by which these natural compounds inhibit proliferation of cancer cells and angiogenesis. Growing evidence indicates that polyphenols are beneficial against human fatal diseases such as cancer. Because angiogenesis has a critical role in tumor growth and metastasis, therefore, we decided to review the potential anticancer and antiangiogenic activities and molecular mechanisms of different groups of known polyphenolic compounds. As knowledge and data on anticancer and antiangiogenic effects of plant-derived phenols are on the rise, it may be possible in the near future to develop and discover specific polyphenolic compounds with potent anticancer and antiangiogenic activity for treatment of malignant tumors.
Flavonoids constitute one of the most important classes of polyphenols, which have been found to have a wide range of biological activities such as anticancer effects. A large body of evidence demonstrates that morin as a pleiotropic dietary flavonoid possesses potent anticarcinogenic and anticancer activities with minimal toxicity against normal cells. The present review comprehensively elaborates the molecular mechanisms underlying antitumorigenic and anticancer effects of morin. Morin exerts its anticarcinogenic effects through multiple cancer preventive mechanisms, including reduction of oxidative stress, activation of phase II enzymes, induction of apoptosis, attenuation of inflammatory mediators, and downregulation of p‐Akt and NF‐κB expression. A variety of molecular targets and signaling pathways such as apoptosis, cell cycle, reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), and microRNAs (miRNAs) as well as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), NF‐κB, phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), and Hippo pathways have been found to be involved in the anticancer effects of morin. In the adjuvant therapy, morin has been shown to have synergistic anticancer effects with several chemotherapeutic drugs. The findings of this review indicate that morin can act as a promising chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent.
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