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Review
. 2024 Jan 30;16(3):585.
doi: 10.3390/cancers16030585.

The Anticancer Potential of Kaempferol: A Systematic Review Based on In Vitro Studies

Everton Freitas de Morais  1 , Lilianny Querino Rocha de Oliveira  1 , Hannah Gil de Farias Morais  2 , Maurília Raquel de Souto Medeiros  2 , Roseana de Almeida Freitas  2 , Camila Oliveira Rodini  3 , Ricardo D Coletta  1
Affiliations
Review

The Anticancer Potential of Kaempferol: A Systematic Review Based on In Vitro Studies

Everton Freitas de Morais et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Given the heterogeneity of different malignant processes, planning cancer treatment is challenging. According to recent studies, natural products are likely to be effective in cancer prevention and treatment. Among bioactive flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables, kaempferol (KMP) is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. This systematic review aims to highlight the potential therapeutic effects of KMP on different types of solid malignant tumors. This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Searches were performed in EMBASE, Medline/PubMed, Cochrane Collaboration Library, Science Direct, Scopus, and Google Scholar. After the application of study criteria, 64 studies were included. In vitro experiments demonstrated that KMP exerts antitumor effects by controlling tumor cell cycle progression, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion, as well as by inhibiting angiogenesis. KMP was also able to inhibit important markers that regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhanced the sensitivity of cancer cells to traditional drugs used in chemotherapy, including cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. This flavonoid is a promising therapeutic compound and its combination with current anticancer agents, including targeted drugs, may potentially produce more effective and predictable results.

Keywords: anticancer; chemoagent; flavonoids; kaempferol; natural products; therapeutic profile.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of Kaempferol. Kaempferol is a tetrahydroxyflavone, with the hydroxy groups distributed at positions 3, 5, 7, and 4′.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of literature search and selection criteria. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Antineoplastic mechanisms regulated by kaempferol in different types of cancer.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the pathways and targets affected by kaempferol identified in in vitro cancer studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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