Open AccessAnticancer activity of flavonoids accompanied by redox state modulation and the potential for a chemotherapeutic strategy
Author(s) -
Yong-Kyu Lee,
Je Hyung Lee,
Changbaek Lim
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
food science and biotechnology/food science and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 2092-6456
pISSN - 1226-7708
DOI - 10.1007/s10068-021-00899-8
Subject(s) - redox , chemistry , modulation (music) , flavonoid , pharmacology , biochemistry , biology , antioxidant , organic chemistry , physics , acoustics
Since researchers began studying the mechanism of flavonoids' anticancer activity, little attention has been focused on the modulation of redox state in cells as a potential chemotherapeutic strategy. However, recent studies have begun identifying that the anticancer effect of flavonoids occurs both in their antioxidative activity which scavenges ROS and their prooxidative activity which generates ROS. Against this backdrop, this study attempts to achieve a comprehensive analysis of the individual and separate study findings regarding flavonoids' modulation of redox state in cancer cells. It focuses on the mechanism behind the anticancer effect, and mostly on the modulation of redox potential by flavonoids such as quercetin, hesperetin, apigenin, genistein, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), luteolin and kaempferol in both in vitro and animal models. In addition, the clinical applications of and bioavailability of flavonoids were reviewed to help build a treatment strategy based on flavonoids' prooxidative potential.