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Review
. 2023 Mar 31;15(7):1704.
doi: 10.3390/nu15071704.

Insight into the Biological Roles and Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Different Types of Cancer: Targeting Cancer Therapeutics

Taghreed A Majrashi  1 , Saad Ali Alshehri  1 , Abdulrhman Alsayari  1   2 , Abdullatif Bin Muhsinah  1   2 , Mohammad Alrouji  3 , Asma M Alshahrani  4 , Anas Shamsi  5 , Akhtar Atiya  1
Affiliations
Review

Insight into the Biological Roles and Mechanisms of Phytochemicals in Different Types of Cancer: Targeting Cancer Therapeutics

Taghreed A Majrashi et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Cancer is a hard-to-treat disease with a high reoccurrence rate that affects health and lives globally. The condition has a high occurrence rate and is the second leading cause of mortality after cardiovascular disorders. Increased research and more profound knowledge of the mechanisms contributing to the disease's onset and progression have led to drug discovery and development. Various drugs are on the market against cancer; however, the drugs face challenges of chemoresistance. The other major problem is the side effects of these drugs. Therefore, using complementary and additional medicines from natural sources is the best strategy to overcome these issues. The naturally occurring phytochemicals are a vast source of novel drugs against various ailments. The modes of action by which phytochemicals show their anti-cancer effects can be the induction of apoptosis, the onset of cell cycle arrest, kinase inhibition, and the blocking of carcinogens. This review aims to describe different phytochemicals, their classification, the role of phytochemicals as anti-cancer agents, the mode of action of phytochemicals, and their role in various types of cancer.

Keywords: cancer therapeutics; cell signaling; natural products; phenolic compounds; phytochemicals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Therapeutic potential of phytochemicals in different human ailments.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Different phytochemicals used as therapeutic agents: aloe-emodlin, apigenin, baicalin, caffeic acid, crocetin, curcumin, and ellagic acid; (b) Different phytochemicals used as therapeutic agents: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). luteolin, genistein, kaempferol, lupeol, Rhein, plumbagin, vinblastine, vincristeine, resveratrol, xanthatin, quercetin, and xanthin.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Different phytochemicals used as therapeutic agents: aloe-emodlin, apigenin, baicalin, caffeic acid, crocetin, curcumin, and ellagic acid; (b) Different phytochemicals used as therapeutic agents: epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). luteolin, genistein, kaempferol, lupeol, Rhein, plumbagin, vinblastine, vincristeine, resveratrol, xanthatin, quercetin, and xanthin.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The diverse phytochemicals originating from plant sources are distinguished into five major classes based on their chemical structure and properties. The figure illustrates the different classes and gives examples of each type.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Different signaling pathways targeted by the phytochemicals responsible for the onset of cancer and cancer proliferation, metastasis, and invasion.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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