Polyphenols in Food: Cancer Prevention and Apoptosis Induction

Abstract

Polyphenols are group of water-soluble organic compounds, mainly of natural origin. The compounds having about 5-7 aromatic rings and more than 12 phenolic hydroxyl groups are classified as polyphenols. These are the antioxidants which protect the body from oxidative damage. In plants, they are the secondary metabolites produced as a defense mechanism against stress factors. Antioxidant property of polyphenols is suggested to provide protection against many diseases associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS), including cancer. Various studies carried out across the world have suggested that polyphenols can inhibit the tumor generation, induce apoptosis in cancer cells and interfere in progression of tumors. This group of wonder compounds is present in surplus in natural plants and food products. Intake of polyphenols through diet can scavenge ROS and thus can help in cancer prevention. The plant derived products can also be used along with conventional chemotherapy to enhance the chemopreventive effects. The present review focuses on various in vitro and in vivo studies carried out to assess the anti-carcinogenic potential of polyphenols present in our food. Also, the pathways involved in cancer chemopreventive effects of various subclasses (flavonoids, lignans, stilbenes and phenolic acids) of polyphenols are discussed.

Polyphenol-Rich Dry Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Their Health Benefits

“…Polyphenol is one of the phytochemicals containing large bioactive structural phenolic units. It has a wide range of classification and possesses various pharmacological and health-promoting effects [ 1 ]. Polyphenols are largely found in fruits, cereals, vegetables, food legumes, herbs, spices, nuts, wine, olive oil, tea, coffee, and chocolate.…”

Cytotoxic Effects of Ferula Latisecta on Human Glioma U87 Cells

“…Apoptosis is one of the essential approaches in the treatment of cancer [28][29][30][31][32], especially in brain tumors [31][32][33][34][35]. Asemani et al showed that the anti-cancer potential of Ferula hezarlalehzarica Y. Ajani fraction in Raji lymphoma cell line is through induction of apoptosis [36].…”

The role of rutin and diosmin, two citrus polyhydroxyflavones in disease prevention and treatment

“…For many cancers, on the other hand, an activation of apoptotic signaling can be considered as a pro-active self-defense mechanism of a living organism to weed out dysfunctional cells such as the precursors of metastatic cancer cells without creating secondary oxidative stress due to inflammation (Gosslau and Chen, 2004;Hassan et al, 2014;Wong, 2011). Activation of apoptotic signaling pathways by flavonoids, either intrinsically mediated by mitochondria or extrinsically via receptors are well documented and reviewed elsewhere (Meiyanto et al, 2012;Panche et al, 2016;Sharma et al, 2017). A crosstalk between apoptotic and inflammatory pathways is indicated by several studies which demonstrated that inhibition of NFκB signaling correlated with an induction of apoptosis (Nakano et al, 2006;Oeckinghaus et al, 2011).…”