Table 1.
Natural antioxidants and their molecular targets implicated in cancer prevention.
| Bioactive Substance | Source | Tumor | Molecular Pathways 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curcumin | Curcuma longa extract (turmeric) | Ovarian, prostate, oral, gastrointestinal tumors | NFKB1, AP-1, STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, CTNNB1, NFE2L2, IKBKB, EGFR, HER2, AKT, JNK, PKA, BCL2, BCL2L1, AR, TP53, GST, GPX, HMOX1, XOD, CCND1, ALOX5, PTGS2, NOS2 |
| Genistein (isoflavone) | Soybeans, chickpea, kudzu root Pueraria labata radix; Cicer arietinum; Desmodium uncinatum | Ovarian, prostate, colon, breast | SLC2A1, ER, NFE2L2, autophagy, Multiple Tyrosine kinases, NFKB1, CASP12, CDKN1A, GPX |
| Resveratrol | Stilbene found in Fabaceae and Vitis vinifera | Prostate, breast, colorectal | PTGS2, NOS2, JNK, MEK, NFKB1, AP-1, CDKN1A, NFE2L2, TP53, BAX, caspases, BIRC5, CCND1, BCL2, BCL2L1, ALOX5, VEGF, AR, KLK3, HMOX1 |
| Diallyl sulfide, S-allyl cysteine, allicin (garlic compounds) | Allium spp. | Hepatoma cells, Hematologic tumors, colon, neuroblastoma | IAP, Oxidative Stress generation, Cell Cycle arrest |
| Lycopene, beta carotene | Tomato, carrot, red fruits | Prostate | NFKB1 |
| Capsaicin | Pepper, red chilis, paprika (Capsaicum spp.; Euphorbia spp.; C. annum; C. frutens) | Colorectal, gastrointestinal, nasopharyngeal | TRAIL, SP1, Cell cycle arrest, Apoptosis, NFKB1 |
| Diosgenin | Discorea spp. | Prostate, Lung, Colon | HGF, TRAIL, MAPK1 |
| 6-Gingerol | Ginger, From Zingiber officinale | Lung, Hepatocarcinoma cells | Telomerase, NOS2, TNF1, APAF1, NFKB1, Caspases |
| Ellagic acid | Berries | Oral, breast, Prostate, Colon | CTNNB1, WNT, Apoptosis, AKT |
| Ursolic acid | Fruits, berries, aromatic herbs | Breast, Melanoma | NFKB1, BCL2, BCL2L1, BIRC5, TP53 |
| Silibinin (sylimarin) | Milk thistle (Sylibum marianum) | Lung, leukemia, gastric | NFKB1, AP-1, MAPK, PTGS2, CCND1 EGFR |
| Anethole | Anise, fennel | Lung | AKT, NFKB1, MMP2/9 |
| Catechins (flavonoids, flavanols) | Tea (Camelia sinensis) | Breast, prostate | NFKP1, AP-1, JNK, PGST2, CCND1, HMOX1, TP53, IGF, BCL2, CDKN1A |
| Eugenol, isoeugenol | Cloves (Eugenia caryophyllus) | Breast, cervix, colon | NFKB1, PTGS2, NOS2 |
| Indole-3-carbinol (isothiocyanates) | Cruciferous (Brassica spp.) | Ovary, colon, lung, prostate | Telomerase, SP1, Cell cycle arrest |
| Saponins | Soybean (Glycine max) | Breast, skin, gastric | PTGS2, NOS2, MAPK, NFKB1, MMP |
| Vitamin C | Many fruits and vegetables | Colon, Ovary, prostate | Oxidative stress, Cell cycle arrest, HIF |
| d-Limonene | Citrus oils | Lymphoma, breast, gastric | PTGS2, NOS2, ERK, caspases |
| Lutein | Tomato | endometrial | |
| Folic acid | Leafy vegetables, beans, fruits | Colorectal cancer, neuroblastoma | |
| Selenium | Esophageal, breast, lung prostate, gastrointestinal | Co-factor of GPX, NFKB1, PTGS2, ER, TP53, CDKN1A | |
| Vitamin E, tocopherols | Esophageal, breast, pancreas | NFKB1, PTGS2, NOS2, VEGF, AKT, ERK |
1 Abbreviations used according to HGNC nomenclature: CTNNB1, β-catenin; survivin, BIRC5; NFE2L2, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2); IKBKB, IKK-Beta; BCL2L1, Bcl-XL; HMOX1, Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1); CCND1, Cyclin D1; ALOX5, 5-Lypooxygenase (5-LO), PTGS2, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), SLC2A1, solute carrier family 2 (GLUT1); CDKN1A, P21/WAF1; KLK3, Prostate specific antigen (PSA).