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ANALES?DE?LA?REAL?ACADEMIA?NACIONAL?DE?FARMACIA? Review

ISSN (Online) 1697-4298 analesranf.com

Multifactorial role of flavonoids in prevention and treatment of various

cancers

Title in Spanish: Papel multifactorial de los flavonoides en la prevención y tratamiento de algunos cánceres

Adeeb Shehzad1, Muhammad Nabeel Anwar1, Hira Zahid1, Vijaya Ravinayagam2, Hamad S Al-
Rumaih3, Fadwa Al- Khulaifi4, Haya Al-Boiajan4, Ebtesam A Al-Suhaimi*4

1Department of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME),
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), H-12 Islamabad, Pakistan. 2Deanship of Scientific Research &
Institute for Research and Medical Consultations, University Of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. 3Department of
Prosthodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia. 4Department of Biology, College of
Science, University Of Dammam, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

ABSTRACT: Bioactive compounds isolated from RESUMEN: Los compuestos bioactivos aislados de las
plants have gained a lot of attention in recent years. plantas han ganado mucha atención en los últimos años.
Among them flavonoids, which consist of a large group Entre ellos los flavonoides, que consisten en un gran
of polyphenolic compounds, are at the forefront in the grupo de compuestos polifenólicos, están en la
treatment of various diseases including cancer. vanguardia del tratamiento de diversas enfermedades
Flavonoids possess anti-cancer properties and they exert incluyendo el cáncer. Los flavonoides poseen
their curative effect by modulating different cell- propiedades anticancerígenas y ejercen su efecto
signalling pathways like the Nf-kB pathway, curativo mediante la modulación de diferentes vías de
PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the JAK/STAT señalización intracelular como la vía Nf-kB, PI3K /
pathway. Flavonoids also possess anti-oxidant activity AKT / mTOR y la vía JAK / STAT. Los flavonoides
and they regulate the redox status and prevent damage también poseen actividad antioxidante regulando el
caused by oxidative stress. Chemokines and cytokines estado redox y previniendo los daños causados por el
play a key role in mediating the inflammatory response estrés oxidativo. Las quimiocinas y citocinas juegan un
in a cell. Consequently, more inflammatory markers are papel clave en la mediación de la respuesta inflamatoria
recruited to the site of inflammation that leads to en las células. Por lo tanto, el aumento de los
increased ROS and cause damage at the site of marcadores inflamatorios que son reclutados en el sitio
accumulation. The present review covers the recent de inflamación conduce a un aumento de las especies
studies, in vitro and in vivo, that highlight the promising reactivas del oxígeno causando daños en el lugar de su
potential of flavonoids in treating cancer. acumulación. La presente revisión abarca los estudios
más recientes, tanto in vitro como in vivo, en donde se
*Corresponding Author: ealsuhaimi@uod.edu.sa destaca el potencial que presentan los flavonoides en el
Received: June 16, 2016 Accepted: September 28, 2016 tratamiento del cáncer.

An Real Acad Farm Vol. 82, Nº 3 (2016), pp. 297-302

Language of Manuscript: English

1. INTRODUCTION body functions in multicellular organisms (5). The process
of cell death helps repair damaged tissue and eliminate
The beneficial effects of food have been known from harmful cells (6). Altered signaling can lead to an
ancient times and have been applied in treating various imbalance in cellular functions which may lead to
human diseases. Various phytochemical substances in the pathological disorders such as embryogenesis,
functional food have antioxidant properties. neurological diseases and cancer.
Phytochemicals can modulate different signal transduction
pathways and play a key role in treatment of cancer. The Normal cells are stimulated by carcinogen and leads to
phytochemicals studies about citrus fruits have shown to mutation. Subsequently inhibit the function of tumor
contain most of the flavonoids (1, 2). These flavonoids suppressor gene and stimulate oncogene. This cause
mediate important physiological functions and are uncontrolled growth of the cell known as carcinogenesis
commercially very important in nutrients and pharmacy (5). In carcinogenesis, formation of new blood vessels is a
companies owing to broad therapeutic applications (3, 4). key step to provide nutrients and oxygen supply to cancer
The equilibrium between cell growth and death is very cells. Tumor cells can invade and spread throughout the
important for the development and maintenance of normal body through blood and lymph vessels (6).

@Real Academia Nacional de Farmacia. Spain 297