Characteristic Features of Cytotoxic Activity of Flavonoids on Human Cervical Cancer Cells

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide and development of new therapeutic strategies and anticancer agents is an urgent priority. Plants have remained an important source in the search for novel cytotoxic compounds and several polyphenolic flavonoids possess antitumor properties. In this review article, data about potential anticarcinogenic activity of common natural flavonoids on various human cervical cancer cell lines are compiled and analyzed showing perspectives for the use of these secondary metabolites in the treatment of cervical carcinoma as well as in the development of novel chemotherapeutic drugs. Such anticancer effects of flavonoids seem to differentially depend on the cellular type and origin of cervical carcinoma creating possibilities for specific targeting in the future. Besides the cytotoxic activity per se, several flavonoids can also contribute to the increase in efficacy of conventional therapies rendering tumor cells more sensitive to standard chemotherapeutics and irradiation. Although the current knowledge is still rather scarce and further studies are certainly needed, it is clear that natural flavonoids may have a great potential to benefit cervical cancer patients.

A high-content AlphaScreen™ identifies E6-specific small molecule inhibitors as potential therapeutics for HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

“…Allocation of the initial hit compounds into clusters based upon structural similarity revealed that the biggest cluster comprised flavonoid compounds. This finding was consistent with the literature, because most compounds that have been discovered thus far as E6 inhibitors have a flavonoid chemotype [32]. In fact, 8 of the compounds identified as initial hits in our study had already been published as E6 specific inhibitors.…”

Wogonoside promotes apoptosis and ER stress in human gastric cancer cells by regulating the IRE1α pathway

“…More than ten polyphenolic flavonoids, such as quercetin, catechin, luteolin, rutin and hesperidin, have been reported to possess cytotoxic and antitumor properties ( 9-11 ). Their anticancer effects primarily include antioxidant activity, promotion of apoptosis, inhibition of proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis, modulation of signal transduction pathways and reversal of drug resistance ( 8 , 12 ). Evidence has demonstrated that wogonoside (wogonin-7-glucuronide, C 22 H 20 O 11 ), a primary component of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Scutellaria baicalensis , induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in multiple types of tumor cells, such as non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic myelogenous leukemia cells ( 13-15 ).…”

Response surface method was used to optimize the ultrasonic assisted extraction of flavonoids from Crinum asiaticum

“…Flavonoids are widely found in plants in nature and are secondary metabolites of plants (Sak, 2014), and has antioxidant activity, anticancer, anti-inflammatory (Jin et al, 2010, Rokayya et al, 2014, Jantrawut et al, 2017), hepatoprotective potential and antibacterial activity. Recently, the vegetables, fruits and plants that contain a substantial number of flavonoid compounds have received more and more attention for their medical utility.…”