Phytochemicals for Cancer Chemoprevention: Applications and Advantages
Kotamballi N. Chidambara Murthy, S. Alice Hepsiba, Kalidas Shetty · 2020
Cancer is considered to be a constant challenge to modern medical science, which is mainly due to difficulty in identifying the events like conversion of a normal gene into an oncogene, the extent and pattern of the disease progression and prevention of metastasis. Considering these complications and gaps in our understanding of the progress of the disease, one of the best options would be to maintain the concentration of food-related bioactive ingredients that can fight initiation and progression of the disease in the blood. In order to maintain the status of such ingredients constantly, they should come from a biorenewable source, with safety for long-term use. This is possible if the ingredient is also part of the diet. Therefore, plant sources are one of the best options, specifically those that are part of the daily diet. Among different class of biological compounds, antioxidants, detoxifying agents, inhibitors of Phase-II metabolizing enzymes, inflammation inhibitors, regulators of cell cycle and multiplication are some of the promising molecules that can offer greater benefit for prevention of cancer and associated symptoms. In the current chapter, we have provided a broad perspective of plant secondary metabolites, their role in plant health and benefit in human health, with an emphasis on cancer. Additionally, information on some of the successful molecules from bench to bedside is discussed, in terms of benefits and bottlenecks for optimal utility of such compounds for human health.