Phytochemicals in Chemoprevention: A Cost-Effective Complementary Approach

Abstract

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world. Although conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have effectively decreased cancer progression, they come with many dose-limiting side-effects. Phytochemicals that naturally occur in spices, fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and other common foods are surprisingly effective complements to conventional cancer treatments. These biologically active compounds demonstrate anticancer effects via cell signaling pathway interference in cancerous cells. In addition, phytochemicals protect non-cancerous cells from chemotherapy-induced side-effects. This paper addresses the not only the potential of phytochemicals quercetin, isoflavones, curcumin, catechins, and hesperidin in terms of cancer treatment and protection against side-effects of chemotherapy, but also methods for increasing phytochemical bioavailability.

Understanding the Prooxidant Action of Plant Polyphenols in the Cellular Microenvironment of Malignant Cells: Role of Copper and Therapeutic Implications

“…In addition, there is increasing evidence of chemopreventive drugs being more effective in combination with phytochemicals ( Jain et al, 2021 ). It is also worth mentioning that several combinations of plant derived polyphenols show better biological activity, which is not shown when these molecules are tested individually.…”

“…It is also worth mentioning that several combinations of plant derived polyphenols show better biological activity, which is not shown when these molecules are tested individually. ( Arora et al, 2019 ; Jain et al, 2021 ).…”

Phytonutrients: Sources, bioavailability, interaction with gut microbiota, and their impacts on human health

“…For example, curcumin and chlorogenic acid have been implicated in alleviating fat accumulation, high cholesterol, and metabolic disorders by affecting protein synthesis pathways and modulating immune responses ( 6 , 7 ). In general, due to people's pursuit of a healthy diet, there has been a growing focus on natural products in recent years ( 8 ), and phytonutrients hold a great promise in healthcare and clinical therapy thanks to their beneficial effects ( 9 , 10 ).…”

“…Some polyphenols, such as those found in green and black tea, may inhibit the growth of detrimental bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( 26 – 29 ). In the meantime, microbial metabolites such as short chain fatty acids and other bioactive components fermented/degraded by gut microbiota not only provide essential materials and energy for the growth of gut microbes, but also can target multiple pathways in intestine, liver, and pancreas, resulting in improvements in gut health ( 8 , 30 ). For example, chlorogenic acid and its related compounds can be metabolized in the gut by the resident microbiota, which are responsible for the release of caffeic acid and further metabolism, producing phenyl–propionic, phenylacetic, and benzoic acid derivatives that are then absorbed into the circulatory system for further actions ( 7 , 31 ).…”

Gastrointestinal Tumors: Phytochemical and Drug Combinations Targeting the Hallmarks of Cancer

“…Conventional anticancer drugs specifically target over-proliferating tumor cells; importantly, new therapeutic strategies have been developed, focused on a combination of chemotherapeutic agents and chemoprevention [10]. The role of diet in tumor chemoprevention has been indicated by many authors, who described the relationship between phytochemicals present in food and their antitumor properties [11][12][13]. Apoptosis is the main mechanism through which phytochemicals induce the death of tumor cells, after the activation of specific enzymes called caspases [14].…”