Skip to content
2000
Volume 15, Issue 5
  • ISSN: 1568-0266
  • E-ISSN: 1873-4294

Abstract

Various plant polyphenols have been recognized as redox active molecules. This review discusses some aspects of polyphenols’ modes of redox action, corresponding structure-activity relationships and their potential to be applied as adjuvants to conventional cytostatic drugs. Polyphenols’ antioxidative capacity has been discussed as the basis for targeting oxidative stress and, consequently, for their chemopreventive and anti-inflammatory activities, which may alleviate side-effects on normal cells arising from oxidative stress caused by cytostatics. Some polyphenols may scavenge various free radicals directly, and some of them are found to suppress free radical production through inhibiting NADPH oxidases and xanthine oxidase. Additionally, polyphenols may increase antioxidative defense in normal cells by increasing the activity of NRF2, transcription factor for many protective proteins. The activation of the NRF2-mediated signaling pathways in cancer cells results in chemoresistance. Luteolin, apigenin and chrysin reduce NRF2 expression and increase the chemosensitivity of cancer cells to cytostatic drugs. Their common 5,7-dihydroxy-4H-chromen-4-one moiety, may represent a starting pharmacophore model for designing novel, non-toxic compounds for overcoming chemoresistance. However, prooxidative activity of some polyphenols (quercetin, EGCG) may also provide a basis for their use as chemotherapeutic adjuvants since they may enhance cytotoxic effects of cytostatics selectively on cancer cells. However, considerable caution is needed in applying polyphenols to anticancer therapy, since their effects greatly depend on the applied dose, the cell type, exposure time and environmental conditions.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/ctmc/10.2174/1568026615666150209123100
2015-03-01
2025-06-12
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/content/journals/ctmc/10.2174/1568026615666150209123100
Loading

  • Article Type:
    Research Article
Keyword(s): Adjuvant; Anticancer therapy; Antioxidative; Curcumin; EGCG; Flavonoids; NRF2; Polyphenols; Pro-oxidative
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test