The role of natural polyphenols in cell signaling and cytoprotection against cancer development

• Published in: The Journal of nutritional biochemistry 2016-06, Vol.32, p.1-19
• Main Authors: Lewandowska, Hanna, Kalinowska, Monika, Lewandowski, Włodzimierz, Stępkowski, Tomasz M., Brzóska, Kamil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angiogenesis Inhibitors - metabolism; Angiogenesis Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Animals; Anticancer; Anticarcinogenic Agents - metabolism; Anticarcinogenic Agents - therapeutic use; Antioxidant; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Caffeic acid; Carcinogenesis; Chlorogenic acid; Cinnamates - metabolism; Cinnamates - therapeutic use; Epigenesis, Genetic; Flavonoids - metabolism; Flavonoids - therapeutic use; Free Radical Scavengers - metabolism; Free Radical Scavengers - therapeutic use; Healthy Diet; Humans; Models, Biological; Neoplasm Metastasis - pathology; Neoplasm Metastasis - prevention & control; Neoplasm Metastasis - therapy; Neoplasms - diet therapy; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms - prevention & control; Neovascularization, Pathologic - diet therapy; Neovascularization, Pathologic - metabolism; Neovascularization, Pathologic - pathology; Neovascularization, Pathologic - prevention & control; Phenolic compounds; Polyphenols - metabolism; Polyphenols - therapeutic use; Precancerous Conditions - diet therapy; Precancerous Conditions - metabolism; Precancerous Conditions - pathology; Precancerous Conditions - prevention & control; Quercetin; Signal Transduction
• ISSN: 0955-2863; 1873-4847
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.11.006

The cytoprotective and anticancer action of dietary in-taken natural polyphenols has for long been attributed only to their direct radical scavenging activities. Currently it is well supported that those compounds display a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological outcomes mediated by their complex metabolism, interaction with gut microbiota as well as direct interactions of their metabolites with key cellular signaling proteins. The beneficial effects of natural polyphenols and their synthetic derivatives are extensively studied in context of cancer prophylaxis and therapy. Herein we focus on cell signaling to explain the beneficial role of polyphenols at the three stages of cancer development: we review the recent proceedings about the impact of polyphenols on the cytoprotective antioxidant response and their proapoptotic action at the premalignant stage, and finally we present data showing how phenolic acids (e.g., caffeic, chlorogenic acids) and flavonols (e.g., quercetin) hamper the development of metastatic cancer. [Display omitted]