Understanding the Therapeutic Potential of Ascorbic Acid in the Battle to Overcome Cancer

Abstract

Cancer, a fatal disease, is also one of the main causes of death worldwide. Despite various developments to prevent and treat cancer, the side effects of anticancer drugs remain a major concern. Ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin required by our bodies for normal physiological function and also has antioxidant and anticancer activity. Although the body cannot synthesize ascorbic acid, it is abundant in nature through foods and other natural sources and also exists as a nutritional food supplement. In anticancer drug development, ascorbic acid has played an important role by inhibiting the development of cancer through various mechanisms, including scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), selectively producing ROS and encouraging their cytotoxicity against tumour cells, preventing glucose metabolism, serving as an epigenetic regulator, and regulating the expression of HIF in tumour cells. Several ascorbic acid analogues have been produced to date for their anticancer and antioxidant activity. The current review summarizes the mechanisms behind ascorbic acid's antitumor activity, presents a compilation of its derivatives and their biological activity as anticancer agents, and discusses delivery systems such as liposomes, nanoparticles against cancer, and patents on ascorbic acid as anticancer agents.

Vitamin-Containing Antioxidant Formulation Reduces Carcinogen-Induced DNA Damage through ATR/Chk1 Signaling in Bronchial Epithelial Cells In Vitro

“…In BEAS-2B cells, we tested the cell viability of vitamins and antioxidant flavonoids at various concentrations and observed that there was no cytotoxicity at the doses employed that would be expected to be achieved in vivo after supplements. In humans, the plasma concentration of ascorbic acid ranges 40–80 μM [ 39 ], β-carotene is comparable to 2450 nM [ 40 ], folate is 0.9–55 nM [ 41 ], lipoic acid is 0.5–30 μM [ 42 ], and 141.5 μM for NAC [ 43 ]. However, we observed that Q and Q3G are toxic at higher concentrations.…”

Evaluation effects of ascorbic acid leads to activate and induce osteogenic protein marker expression: in silico and in-vitro study

“…This study focuses on evaluating how in silico methods can elucidate the effect of ascorbic acid on PHD2 and its expression. According to Reang et al (2021) 12 , the latest research suggests that ascorbic acid has potential as an antitumor therapy. Based on that research, several studies have reported that ascorbic acid derivatives in hydroxyl groups can be substituted with certain substituents in vitro to alter antitumor activity.…”

Ascorbic Acid Sensor Based on CdS QDs@PDA Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

“…Insufficient AA intake can lead to scurvy, while excessive AA intake can lead to kidney stones and stomach cramps [ 5 , 6 ]. Recent research has demonstrated the role of AA in stress-related disorders, inhibiting the development of cancer, and preventing and treating infection against COVID-19, making it urgent to analyze AA concentrations in food and clinical fields, especially for the performance measure of the techniques such as selectivity, sensitivity, and limit of detection in their utilization [ 4 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”