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Review
. 2022 Dec 17;27(24):9009.
doi: 10.3390/molecules27249009.

The Potential Role of Fisetin, a Flavonoid in Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Arshad Husain Rahmani  1 , Ahmad Almatroudi  1 , Khaled S Allemailem  1 , Amjad Ali Khan  2 , Saleh A Almatroodi  1
Affiliations
Review

The Potential Role of Fisetin, a Flavonoid in Cancer Prevention and Treatment

Arshad Husain Rahmani et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Cancer is a main culprit and the second-leading cause of death worldwide. The current mode of treatment strategies including surgery with chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be effective, but cancer is still considered a major cause of death. Plant-derived products or their purified bioactive compounds have confirmed health-promoting effects as well as cancer-preventive effects. Among these products, flavonoids belong to polyphenols, chiefly found in fruits, vegetables and in various seeds/flowers. It has been considered to be an effective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and to play a vital role in diseases management. Besides these activities, flavonoids have been revealed to possess anticancer potential through the modulation of various cell signaling molecules. In this regard, fisetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has a confirmed role in disease management through antioxidant, neuro-protective, anti-diabetic, hepato-protective and reno-protective potential. As well, its cancer-preventive effects have been confirmed via modulating various cell signaling pathways including inflammation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, growth factor, transcription factor and other cell signaling pathways. This review presents an overview of the anti-cancer potential of fisetin in different types of cancer through the modulation of cell signaling pathways based on in vivo and in vitro studies. A synergistic effect with anticancer drugs and strategies to improve the bioavailability are described. More clinical trials need to be performed to explore the anti-cancer potential and mechanism-of-action of fisetin and its optimum therapeutic dose.

Keywords: bioavailability; cancer; cell signaling pathways; fisetin; synergistic effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of fisetin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The concentration of fisetin in fruits and vegetables [17].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Anti-cancer potential of fisetin through the modulation of cell-signaling pathways.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Role of fisetin in prevention of different cancers through modulation of various cell signaling molecules. Up arrow (↑) indicates upregulation, and downarrow (↓) indicates downregulation.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Synergistic role of fisetin with cancer drugs/natural compounds. Up arrow (↑) indicates upregulation, and downarrow (↓) indicates downregulation. The plus sign (+) sign indicates combination of two compounds.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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