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. 2025 Jan 20;15(1):151. doi: 10.3390/biom15010151

Table 7.

Anticancer effects of quercetin via the intonation of cell signaling molecules.

Pathways Cancer In Vitro/In Vivo Dose Mechanism Outcome Refs.
PTEN/PI3K/AKT Breast MCF-7 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 μmol/L p-PI3K and p-AKT ↓
and PTEN ↑

  • A high concentration of quercetin decreased the levels of p-AKT and p-PI3K protein.

  • Quercetin enhanced the expression and distribution of PTEN protein.

 [197]
Cell cycle Breast MDA-MB-231 20 µM Cell cycle arrest

  • Cell cycle arrest at S and G2/M phase caused by quercetin.

 [198]
Apoptosis Oral SAS 40 µM Induction of apoptosis

  • Quercetin-induced apoptosis of cells and increased the activities of caspases.

 [199]
Angiogenesis Colorectal HT-29 cells 5 and 10 µg/mL VEGF-A
VEGFR-2 ↓

  • Quercetin decreased the VEGF-A protein expression.

 [200]
NF-κB p65 Colorectal HT-29 cells 5 and 10 µg/mL NF-κB p65 ↓

  • NF-κB p65 protein expression was decreased by quercetin.

 [200]
Invasion and angiogenesis Esophageal Eca109 5 μg/mL or 10 μg/mL VEGF-A, MMP9, and MMP2 ↓

  • Quercetin decreased MMP2, MMP9, and VEGF-A and suppressed the invasion and migration.

 [201]
Cell cycle Breast T47D 50 µM Cells in G2/M phase and the G2/M cells ↑

  • Quercetin increased accumulation of the cells in the G2/M phase, and the G2/M.

 [202]
Apoptosis Breast T47D 50 µM Induction of apoptosis

  • The number of apoptotic cells increased by quercetin and a combination of doxorubicin.

 [202]
Apoptosis Oral D10B and YD38 25 μM and 50 μM Induction of apoptosis

  • Quercetin causes apoptotic cell death cells.

 [203]
P53 Breast MDA-MB-453 100 µM P53 ↑

  • p53 expression was activated by quercetin.

 [204]
Autophagy Brain U373MG 25, 50, and 75 µM Induction of autophagy

  • Induced autophagy.

 [205]
EGFR pathway Prostate Rats 200 mg/kg EGFR ↓

  • Quercetin prevents cancer progression via inhibition of EGFR pathway.

 [206]
JNK/ERK MAPK pathway Leukemia Mice 120 mg/kg JNK/ERK
MAPK pathway ↓

  • Activation of the death signaling molecules such as phosphorylated forms of ERK and JNK MAPK indicates quercetin.

 [207]
Calcineurin/NFAT pathway Breast Mice 34 mg/kg Calcineurin/NFAT pathway ↓

  • Quercetin inhibited tumor calcineurin activities.

  • Effects of this compound on calcineurin/NFAT pathway was noticed by decreased subcellular levels of NFATc3.

 [208]
STAT3 pathway Pancreas PATU-8988 and PANC-1 cells 0, 20, 40, and 80 µM STAT3, MMP2, MMP7↓

  • Quercetin inhibits activation of p-STAT3.

 [209]