ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2020) | Viewed by 95888

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Pharmaceutical Research and Technology Institute, Kindai University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashiosaka, Osaka 577-8502, Japan
Interests: isolation and structure determination of bioactive natural products; synthetic studies on bioactive natural products; structure-activity relationship studies on bioactive natural products; studies of bioactive natural products on the application to pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and food additives; mechanisms of action of bioactive natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammation is caused by a variety of stimuli including physical damage, UV irradiation, microbial invasion, and immune reactions. The classical key features of inflammation are redness, warmth, swelling, and pain, and their cascades can lead to the inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. Many inflammatory diseases are becoming common among the elderly worldwide. Clinically used anti-inflammatory drugs suffer from the disadvantages of side effects and high treatment costs in the case of biologics. Therefore, research on new anti-inflammatory molecules and the elucidation of their molecular mechanisms are being actively conducted. This Special Issue on "Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals" is intended to offer anti-inflammatory active natural products as candidates and/or leads for pharmaceuticals. The research fields of this Special Issue include natural products, chemistry, phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, food chemistry, bioorganic synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, molecular biology, molecular pharmacology, and other related research fields. Original research and review articles on all topics in these research fields are invited. I look forward to receiving many submissions from outstanding experts on these research topics. 

Prof. Dr. Toshio Morikawa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural product chemistry
  • phytochemistry
  • pharmacognosy
  • food chemistry
  • bioorganic synthetic chemistry
  • chemical biology
  • molecular biology
  • molecular pharmacology
  • structure-activity relationship
  • mechanism of action

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (11 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 1645 KiB  
Article
Apoptotic-Induced Effects of Acacia Catechu Willd. Extract in Human Colon Cancer Cells
by Elda Chiaino, Matteo Micucci, Miriam Durante, Roberta Budriesi, Roberto Gotti, Carla Marzetti, Alberto Chiarini and Maria Frosini
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(6), 2102; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21062102 - 19 Mar 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4054
Abstract
The research for innovative treatments against colon adenocarcinomas is still a great challenge. Acacia catechu Willd. heartwood extract (AC) has health-promoting qualities, especially at the gastrointestinal level. This study characterized AC for its catechins content and investigated the apoptosis-enhancing effect in human colorectal [...] Read more.
The research for innovative treatments against colon adenocarcinomas is still a great challenge. Acacia catechu Willd. heartwood extract (AC) has health-promoting qualities, especially at the gastrointestinal level. This study characterized AC for its catechins content and investigated the apoptosis-enhancing effect in human colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells, along with its ability to spare healthy tissue. MTT assay was used to describe the time course, concentration dependence and reversibility of AC-mediated cytotoxicity. Cell cycle analysis and AV-PI and DAPI-staining were performed to evaluate apoptosis, together with ROS formation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) changes and caspase activities. Rat ileum and colon rings were tested for their viability and functionality to explore AC effects on healthy tissue. Quantitative analysis highlighted that AC was rich in (±)-catechin (31.5 ± 0.82 mg/g) and (−)-epicatechin (12.5 ± 0.42 mg/g). AC irreversibly decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent, but not time-dependent fashion. Cytotoxicity was accompanied by increases in apoptotic cells and ROS, a reduction in MMP and increases in caspase-9 and 3 activities. AC did not affect rat ileum and colon rings’ viability and functionality, suggesting a safe profile toward healthy tissue. The present findings outline the potential of AC for colon cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 1791 KiB  
Article
Glucose Tolerance-Improving Activity of Helichrysoside in Mice and Its Structural Requirements for Promoting Glucose and Lipid Metabolism
by Toshio Morikawa, Akifumi Nagatomo, Takahiro Oka, Yoshinobu Miki, Norihisa Taira, Megumi Shibano-Kitahara, Yuichiro Hori, Osamu Muraoka and Kiyofumi Ninomiya
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(24), 6322; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20246322 - 14 Dec 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2598
Abstract
An acylated flavonol glycoside, helichrysoside, at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day per os for 14 days, improved the glucose tolerance in mice without affecting the food intake, visceral fat weight, liver weight, and other plasma parameters. In this study, using hepatoblastoma-derived HepG2 cells, [...] Read more.
An acylated flavonol glycoside, helichrysoside, at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day per os for 14 days, improved the glucose tolerance in mice without affecting the food intake, visceral fat weight, liver weight, and other plasma parameters. In this study, using hepatoblastoma-derived HepG2 cells, helichrysoside, trans-tiliroside, and kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside enhanced glucose consumption from the medium, but their aglycones and p-coumaric acid did not show this activity. In addition, several acylated flavonol glycosides were synthesized to clarify the structural requirements for lipid metabolism using HepG2 cells. The results showed that helichrysoside and related analogs significantly inhibited triglyceride (TG) accumulation in these cells. The inhibition by helichrysoside was more potent than that by other acylated flavonol glycosides, related flavonol glycosides, and organic acids. As for the TG metabolism-promoting activity in high glucose-pretreated HepG2 cells, helichrysoside, related analogs, and their aglycones were found to significantly reduce the TG contents in HepG2 cells. However, the desacyl flavonol glycosides and organic acids derived from the acyl groups did not exhibit an inhibitory impact on the TG contents in HepG2 cells. These results suggest that the existence of the acyl moiety at the 6'' position in the D-glucopyranosyl part is essential for glucose and lipid metabolism-promoting activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3160 KiB  
Article
Effects of Sapindus mukorossi Seed Oil on Skin Wound Healing: In Vivo and in Vitro Testing
by Chang-Chih Chen, Chia-Jen Nien, Lih-Geeng Chen, Kuen-Yu Huang, Wei-Jen Chang and Haw-Ming Huang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(10), 2579; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20102579 - 26 May 2019
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5463 | Correction
Abstract
Sapindus mukorossi seed oil is commonly used as a source for biodiesel fuel. Its phytochemical composition is similar to the extracted oil from Sapindus trifoliatus seeds, which exhibit beneficial effects for skin wound healing. Since S. mukorossi seed shows no cyanogenic property, it [...] Read more.
Sapindus mukorossi seed oil is commonly used as a source for biodiesel fuel. Its phytochemical composition is similar to the extracted oil from Sapindus trifoliatus seeds, which exhibit beneficial effects for skin wound healing. Since S. mukorossi seed shows no cyanogenic property, it could be a potential candidate for the treatment of skin wounds. Thus, we evaluated the effectiveness of S. mukorossi seed oil in the treatment of skin wounds. We characterized and quantified the fatty acids and unsaponifiable fractions (including β-sitosterol and δ-tocopherol) contained in S. mukorossi seed-extracted oil by GC-MS and HPLC, respectively. Cell proliferation and migratory ability were evaluated by cell viability and scratch experiments using CCD-966SK cells treated with S. mukorossi oil. The anti-inflammatory effects of the oil were evaluated by measuring the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Antimicrobial activity tests were performed with Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans using a modified Japanese Industrial Standard procedure. Uniform artificial wounds were created on the dorsum of rats. The wounds were treated with a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/hyaluronic acid (HA)/sodium alginate (SA) hydrogel for releasing the S. mukorossi seed oil. The wound sizes were measured photographically for 12 days and were compared to wounds covered with analogous membranes containing a saline solution. Our results showed that the S. mukorossi seed oil used in this study contains abundant monounsaturated fatty acids, β-sitosterol, and δ-tocopherol. In the in vitro tests, S. mukorossi seed oil prompted cell proliferation and migration capability. Additionally, the oil had significant anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activities. In the in vivo animal experiments, S. mukorossi seed oil-treated wounds revealed acceleration of sequential skin wound healing events after two days of healing. The size of oil-treated wound decreased to half the size of the untreated control after eight days of healing. The results suggest that S. mukorossi seed oil could be a potential source for promoting skin wound healing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

13 pages, 9498 KiB  
Article
Topical Spilanthol Inhibits MAPK Signaling and Ameliorates Allergic Inflammation in DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in Mice
by Wen-Chung Huang, Chun-Hsun Huang, Sindy Hu, Hui-Ling Peng and Shu-Ju Wu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(10), 2490; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20102490 - 20 May 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 6588
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic skin disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Patients with AD may experience immune imbalance, increased levels of mast cells, immunoglobulin (Ig) E and pro-inflammatory factors (Cyclooxygenase, COX-2 and inducible NO synthase, iNOS). While spilanthol (SP) [...] Read more.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a recurrent allergic skin disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. Patients with AD may experience immune imbalance, increased levels of mast cells, immunoglobulin (Ig) E and pro-inflammatory factors (Cyclooxygenase, COX-2 and inducible NO synthase, iNOS). While spilanthol (SP) has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, its effect on AD remains to be explored. To develop a new means of SP, inflammation-related symptoms of AD were alleviated, and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was used to induce AD-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice. Histopathological analysis was used to examine mast cells and eosinophils infiltration in AD-like skin lesions. The levels of IgE, IgG1 and IgG2a were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Western blot was used for analysis of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways and COX-2 and iNOS protein expression. Topical SP treatment reduced serum IgE and IgG2a levels and suppressed COX-2 and iNOS expression via blocked mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in DNCB-induced AD-like lesions. Histopathological examination revealed that SP reduced epidermal thickness and collagen accumulation and inhibited mast cells and eosinophils infiltration into the AD-like lesions skin. These results indicate that SP may protect against AD skin lesions through inhibited MAPK signaling pathways and may diminish the infiltration of inflammatory cells to block allergic inflammation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 2902 KiB  
Article
Citrus aurantium L. and Its Flavonoids Regulate TNBS-Induced Inflammatory Bowel Disease through Anti-Inflammation and Suppressing Isolated Jejunum Contraction
by Wei He, Yongmin Li, Mengyang Liu, Haiyang Yu, Qian Chen, Yue Chen, Jingya Ruan, Zhijuan Ding, Yi Zhang and Tao Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3057; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103057 - 07 Oct 2018
Cited by 57 | Viewed by 5653
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious digestive system disease, for which the clinical therapeutic choices remain limited. Dried fruits of Citrus aurantium L. (CAL) are a traditional medicine used for regulation of the digestive system. The aim of this study was to [...] Read more.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a serious digestive system disease, for which the clinical therapeutic choices remain limited. Dried fruits of Citrus aurantium L. (CAL) are a traditional medicine used for regulation of the digestive system. The aim of this study was to identify the regulatory effects of CAL on IBD and to clarify the mechanism of the active compounds. In trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced IBD rats, 125 to 500 mg/kg of oral CAL significantly alleviated weight loss and diarrhea, decreased colitis inflammatory cell infiltration, and inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine production. The mechanisms of characteristic flavonoids in CAL were evaluated involving inflammation and intestine contraction aspects. Naringenin, nobiletin, and hesperetin showed anti-inflammatory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW cells. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) pathway to suppress cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expressions. Naringenin and nobiletin showed inhibitory effects on isolated jejunum contraction. The mechanism of naringenin is partly related to COX, NOS, inositol triphosphate (IP3), and finally, to decreased jejunum motility. This study demonstrated that CAL, and its flavonoids’ regulatory effects on IBD through anti-inflammation and inhibition of intestine muscle contraction, can provide basic information on developing new drugs or supplements against IBD based on CAL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 5167 KiB  
Article
δ-Tocotrienol, Isolated from Rice Bran, Exerts an Anti-Inflammatory Effect via MAPKs and PPARs Signaling Pathways in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages
by Junjun Shen, Tao Yang, Youzhi Xu, Yi Luo, Xinyue Zhong, Limin Shi, Tao Hu, Tianyi Guo, Ying Nie, Feijun Luo and Qinlu Lin
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(10), 3022; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19103022 - 04 Oct 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4648
Abstract
δ-Tocotrienol, an important component of vitamin E, has been reported to possess some physiological functions, such as anticancer and anti-inflammation, however their molecular mechanisms are not clear. In this study, δ-tocotrienol was isolated and purified from rice bran. The anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism [...] Read more.
δ-Tocotrienol, an important component of vitamin E, has been reported to possess some physiological functions, such as anticancer and anti-inflammation, however their molecular mechanisms are not clear. In this study, δ-tocotrienol was isolated and purified from rice bran. The anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of δ-tocotrienol against lipopolysaccharides (LPS) activated pro-inflammatory mediator expressions in RAW264.7 cells were investigated. Results showed that δ-tocotrienol significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) and proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-6) production and blocked the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). δ-Tocotrienol repressed the transcriptional activations and translocations of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1), which were closely related with downregulated cytokine expressions. Meanwhile, δ-tocotrienol also affected the PPAR signal pathway and exerted an anti-inflammatory effect. Taken together, our data showed that δ-tocotrienol inhibited inflammation via mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signalings in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 2189 KiB  
Review
Functional Ingredients From Brassicaceae Species: Overview and Perspectives
by Daniela Ramirez, Angel Abellán-Victorio, Vanesa Beretta, Alejandra Camargo and Diego A. Moreno
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(6), 1998; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21061998 - 15 Mar 2020
Cited by 73 | Viewed by 7190
Abstract
Brassicaceae vegetables are important crops consumed worldwide due to their unique flavor, and for their broadly recognized functional properties, which are directly related to their phytochemical composition. Isothiocyanates (ITC) are the most characteristic compounds, considered responsible for their pungent taste. Besides ITC, these [...] Read more.
Brassicaceae vegetables are important crops consumed worldwide due to their unique flavor, and for their broadly recognized functional properties, which are directly related to their phytochemical composition. Isothiocyanates (ITC) are the most characteristic compounds, considered responsible for their pungent taste. Besides ITC, these vegetables are also rich in carotenoids, phenolics, minerals, and vitamins. Consequently, Brassica’s phytochemical profile makes them an ideal natural source for improving the nutritional quality of manufactured foods. In this sense, the inclusion of functional ingredients into food matrices are of growing interest. In the present work, Brassicaceae ingredients, functionality, and future perspectives are reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1554 KiB  
Review
Beneficial Properties of Green Tea Catechins
by Claudia Musial, Alicja Kuban-Jankowska and Magdalena Gorska-Ponikowska
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(5), 1744; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051744 - 04 Mar 2020
Cited by 327 | Viewed by 30998
Abstract
Green tea (Camellia sinesis) is widely known for its anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Among the biologically active compounds contained in Camellia sinesis, the main antioxidant agents are catechins. Recent scientific research indicates that the number of hydroxyl groups and the [...] Read more.
Green tea (Camellia sinesis) is widely known for its anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Among the biologically active compounds contained in Camellia sinesis, the main antioxidant agents are catechins. Recent scientific research indicates that the number of hydroxyl groups and the presence of characteristic structural groups have a major impact on the antioxidant activity of catechins. The best source of these compounds is unfermented green tea. Depending on the type and origin of green tea leaves, their antioxidant properties may be uneven. Catechins exhibit the strong property of neutralizing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The group of green tea catechin derivatives includes: epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate. The last of these presents the most potent anti-inflammatory and anticancer potential. Notably, green tea catechins are widely described to be efficient in the prevention of lung cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and prostate cancer. The current review aims to summarize the potential anticancer effects and molecular signaling pathways of major green tea catechins. It needs to be clearly emphasized that green tea as well as green tea catechols cannot replace the standard chemotherapy. Nonetheless, their beneficial effects may support the standard anticancer approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 3716 KiB  
Review
Potential Implications of Quercetin and its Derivatives in Cardioprotection
by Kristina Ferenczyova, Barbora Kalocayova and Monika Bartekova
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21(5), 1585; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21051585 - 26 Feb 2020
Cited by 86 | Viewed by 5364
Abstract
Quercetin (QCT) is a natural polyphenolic compound enriched in human food, mainly in vegetables, fruits and berries. QCT and its main derivatives, such as rhamnetin, rutin, hyperoside, etc., have been documented to possess many beneficial effects in the human body including their positive [...] Read more.
Quercetin (QCT) is a natural polyphenolic compound enriched in human food, mainly in vegetables, fruits and berries. QCT and its main derivatives, such as rhamnetin, rutin, hyperoside, etc., have been documented to possess many beneficial effects in the human body including their positive effects in the cardiovascular system. However, clinical implications of QCT and its derivatives are still rare. In the current paper we provide a complex picture of the most recent knowledge on the effects of QCT and its derivatives in different types of cardiac injury, mainly in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the heart, but also in other pathologies such as anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity or oxidative stress-induced cardiac injury, documented in in vitro and ex vivo, as well as in in vivo experimental models of cardiac injury. Moreover, we focus on cardiac effects of QCT in presence of metabolic comorbidities in addition to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Finally, we provide a short summary of clinical studies focused on cardiac effects of QCT. In general, it seems that QCT and its metabolites exert strong cardioprotective effects in a wide range of experimental models of cardiac injury, likely via their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and molecular pathways-modulating properties; however, ageing and presence of lifestyle-related comorbidities may confound their beneficial effects in heart disease. On the other hand, due to very limited number of clinical trials focused on cardiac effects of QCT and its derivatives, clinical data are inconclusive. Thus, additional well-designed human studies including a high enough number of patients testing different concentrations of QCT are needed to reveal real therapeutic potential of QCT in CVD. Finally, several negative or controversial effects of QCT in the heart have been reported, and this should be also taken into consideration in QCT-based approaches aimed to treat CVD in humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 834 KiB  
Review
Cellular Stress-Modulating Drugs Can Potentially Be Identified by in Silico Screening with Connectivity Map (CMap)
by Yurong Gao, Sungwoo Kim, Yun-Il Lee and Jaemin Lee
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(22), 5601; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20225601 - 09 Nov 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4767
Abstract
Accompanied by increased life span, aging-associated diseases, such as metabolic diseases and cancers, have become serious health threats. Recent studies have documented that aging-associated diseases are caused by prolonged cellular stresses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial stress, and oxidative stress. Thus, [...] Read more.
Accompanied by increased life span, aging-associated diseases, such as metabolic diseases and cancers, have become serious health threats. Recent studies have documented that aging-associated diseases are caused by prolonged cellular stresses such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial stress, and oxidative stress. Thus, ameliorating cellular stresses could be an effective approach to treat aging-associated diseases and, more importantly, to prevent such diseases from happening. However, cellular stresses and their molecular responses within the cell are typically mediated by a variety of factors encompassing different signaling pathways. Therefore, a target-based drug discovery method currently being used widely (reverse pharmacology) may not be adequate to uncover novel drugs targeting cellular stresses and related diseases. The connectivity map (CMap) is an online pharmacogenomic database cataloging gene expression data from cultured cells treated individually with various chemicals, including a variety of phytochemicals. Moreover, by querying through CMap, researchers may screen registered chemicals in silico and obtain the likelihood of drugs showing a similar gene expression profile with desired and chemopreventive conditions. Thus, CMap is an effective genome-based tool to discover novel chemopreventive drugs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2127 KiB  
Review
Role of Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention
by Alok Ranjan, Sharavan Ramachandran, Nehal Gupta, Itishree Kaushik, Stephen Wright, Suyash Srivastava, Hiranmoy Das, Sangeeta Srivastava, Sahdeo Prasad and Sanjay K. Srivastava
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(20), 4981; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20204981 - 09 Oct 2019
Cited by 202 | Viewed by 17687
Abstract
The use of synthetic, natural, or biological agents to minimize the occurrence of cancer in healthy individuals is defined as cancer chemoprevention. Chemopreventive agents inhibit the development of cancer either by impeding DNA damage, which leads to malignancy or by reversing or blocking [...] Read more.
The use of synthetic, natural, or biological agents to minimize the occurrence of cancer in healthy individuals is defined as cancer chemoprevention. Chemopreventive agents inhibit the development of cancer either by impeding DNA damage, which leads to malignancy or by reversing or blocking the division of premalignant cells with DNA damage. The benefit of this approach has been demonstrated in clinical trials of breast, prostate, and colon cancer. The continuous increase in cancer cases, failure of conventional chemotherapies to control cancer, and excessive toxicity of chemotherapies clearly demand an alternative approach. The first trial to show benefit of chemoprevention was undertaken in breast cancer patients with the use of tamoxifen, which demonstrated a significant decrease in invasive breast cancer. The success of using chemopreventive agents for protecting the high risk populations from cancer indicates that the strategy is rational and promising. Dietary components such as capsaicin, cucurbitacin B, isoflavones, catechins, lycopenes, benzyl isothiocyanate, phenethyl isothiocyanate, and piperlongumine have demonstrated inhibitory effects on cancer cells indicating that they may serve as chemopreventive agents. In this review, we have addressed the mechanism of chemopreventive and anticancer effects of several natural agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemopreventive Activities of Phytochemicals)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop