The role of flavonoids in digestive tract cancer prevention - a review article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/JEHS.2023.37.01.003Keywords
flavonoids, gastric cancer (GC), Esophageal cancer, Colorectal cancerAbstract
Introduction: Flavonoids are bioactive chemical compounds crucial for the functioning of plant organisms. Recently, they have been intensively studied in search of their potential application in medicine. One of the most popular fields in that regard is oncology. Digestive tract cancers are still a challenge for contemporary medicine. Our diet seems to have a direct impact on the etiology of colorectal, gastric, and esophageal cancers. The relationship between the consumption of flavonoids, their specific fractions, and digestive tract cancer morbidity is nowadays frequently investigated.
Purpose: This review article aims to discuss the most recent scientific reports and summarize the current state of knowledge, considering the role of flavonoids in digestive tract cancer prevention.
Materials and methods: Our work is based on articles accessed through medical information databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, CrossRef), various scientific books, and official NFZ and WHO-certified sites.
Results: Total flavonoid intake lowers gastric and esophageal cancer morbidity. A high amount of dietary catechins prevents the growth of gastric and colorectal cancer. Increased consumption of anthocyanidins, flavones, and flavanones decreases esophageal cancer morbidity. Isoflavones, procyanidines, anthocyanidins, flaonols, and flavones severely decrease the chance of developing colorectal cancer.
Conclusions: Flavonoids can play an important role in digestive tract cancer prevention. They suppress the growth of colorectal, gastric, and esophageal cancers. Nevertheless, new, high-quality studies are needed in order to compile adequate procedures and bring new, potential drugs to the market.
References
Flavonoids: Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Applications; Edited By Oyvind M. Andersen, Kenneth R. Markham Copyright 2006 ISBN 9780849320217 1252 Pages 189 B/W Illustrations Published December 9, 2005 by CRC Press.
Winkel-Shirley B. Flavonoid biosynthesis. A colorful model for genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, and biotechnology. Plant Physiol. 2001 Jun;126(2):485-93. doi: 10.1104/pp.126.2.485. PMID: 11402179; PMCID: PMC1540115.
Grotewold E. The genetics and biochemistry of floral pigments. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2006;57:761-80. doi: 10.1146/annurev.arplant.57.032905.105248. PMID: 16669781.
Saito K, Matsuda F. Metabolomics for functional genomics, systems biology, and biotechnology. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2010;61:463-89. doi: 10.1146/annurev.arplant.043008.092035. PMID: 19152489.
Jiang N, Doseff AI, Grotewold E. Flavones: From Biosynthesis to Health Benefits. Plants (Basel). 2016 Jun 21;5(2):27. doi: 10.3390/plants5020027. PMID: 27338492; PMCID: PMC4931407.
Falcone Ferreyra ML, Rius SP and Casati P (2012) Flavonoids: biosynthesis, biological functions, and biotechnological applications. Front. Plant Sci. 3:222. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00222.
Agati G, Azzarello E, Pollastri S, Tattini M. Flavonoids as antioxidants in plants: location and functional significance. Plant Sci. 2012 Nov;196:67-76. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2012.07.014. Epub 2012 Aug 11. PMID: 23017900.
Chang H, Lei L, Zhou Y, Ye F, Zhao G. Dietary Flavonoids and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Studies. Nutrients. 2018 Jul 23;10(7):950. doi: 10.3390/nu10070950. PMID: 30041489; PMCID: PMC6073812.
González-Gallego J, García-Mediavilla MV, Sánchez-Campos S, Tuñón MJ. Fruit polyphenols, immunity and inflammation. Br J Nutr. 2010 Oct;104 Suppl 3:S15-27. doi: 10.1017/S0007114510003910. PMID: 20955647.
Cao W, Liu W, Wu T, Zhong D, Liu G. Dengzhanhua preparations for acute cerebral infarction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008 Oct 8;(4):CD005568. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005568.pub2. PMID: 18843694.
Ravishankar D, Rajora AK, Greco F, Osborn HM. Flavonoids as prospective compounds for anti-cancer therapy. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2013 Dec;45(12):2821-31. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2013.10.004. Epub 2013 Oct 12. PMID: 24128857.
Lagergren, J., Smyth, E., Cunningham, D., & Lagergren, P. (2017). Oesophageal cancer. The Lancet, 390(10110), 2383–2396. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(17)31462-9.
Huang FL, Yu SJ. Esophageal cancer: Risk factors, genetic association, and treatment. Asian J Surg. 2018 May;41(3):210-215. doi: 10.1016/j.asjsur.2016.10.005. Epub 2016 Dec 13. PMID: 27986415.
Harada K, Rogers JE, Iwatsuki M, Yamashita K, Baba H, Ajani JA. Recent advances in treating oesophageal cancer. F1000Res. 2020 Oct 1;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-1189. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.22926.1. PMID: 33042518; PMCID: PMC7531047.
Bo, Y. et al. Dietary flavonoid intake and the risk of digestive tract cancers: a systematic
review and meta-analysis. Sci. Rep. 6, 24836; doi: 10.1038/srep24836 (2016).
Hollman, P. C., de Vries, J. H., van Leeuwen, S. D., Mengelers, M. J. & Katan, M. B. Absorption of dietary quercetin glycosides and
quercetin in healthy ileostomy volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr 62, 1276–1282 (1995).
Lee, M. J. et al. Analysis of plasma and urinary tea polyphenols in human subjects. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 4, 393–399
(1995).
Filippini T, Malavolti M, Borrelli F, Izzo AA, Fairweather-Tait SJ, Horneber M, Vinceti M. Green tea (Camellia sinensis) for the prevention of cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 Mar 2;3(3):CD005004. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005004.pub3. PMID: 32118296; PMCID: PMC7059963.
Cui L, Liu X, Tian Y, Xie C, Li Q, Cui H, Sun C. Flavonoids, Flavonoid Subclasses, and Esophageal Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies. Nutrients. 2016 Jun 8;8(6):350. doi: 10.3390/nu8060350. PMID: 27338463; PMCID: PMC4924191.
Globocan 2020 - Global Cancer Obserwatory, WHO.
Zhang X.-Y., Zhang P.-Y. Gastric cancer: Somatic genetics as a guide to therapy. J. Med. Genet. 2016;54:305–312. doi: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2016-104171.
Machlowska J, Baj J, Sitarz M, Maciejewski R, Sitarz R. Gastric Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Classification, Genomic Characteristics and Treatment Strategies. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 4;21(11):4012. doi: 10.3390/ijms21114012. PMID: 32512697; PMCID: PMC7312039.
Wroblewski LE, Peek RM Jr, Wilson KT. Helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer: factors that modulate disease risk. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2010 Oct;23(4):713-39. doi: 10.1128/CMR.00011-10. PMID: 20930071; PMCID: PMC2952980
Bouras, E.; Tsilidis, K.K.; Triggi, M.; Siargkas, A.; Chourdakis, M.; Haidich, A.-B. Diet and Risk of Gastric Cancer: An Umbrella Review. Nutrients 2022, 14, 1764. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091764
Karimi P, Islami F, Anandasabapathy S, Freedman ND, Kamangar F. Gastric cancer: descriptive epidemiology, risk factors, screening, and prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014 May;23(5):700-13. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-1057. Epub 2014 Mar 11. PMID: 24618998; PMCID: PMC4019373
Ma J, Shen H, Kapesa L, Zeng S. Lauren classification and individualized chemotherapy in gastric cancer. Oncol Lett. 2016 May;11(5):2959-2964. doi: 10.3892/ol.2016.4337. Epub 2016 Mar 16. PMID: 27123046; PMCID: PMC4840723.
Smyth EC, Nilsson M, Grabsch HI, van Grieken NC, Lordick F. Gastric cancer. Lancet. 2020 Aug 29;396(10251):635-648. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31288-5. PMID: 32861308.
Sitarz R, Skierucha M, Mielko J, Offerhaus GJA, Maciejewski R, Polkowski WP. Gastric cancer: epidemiology, prevention, classification, and treatment. Cancer Manag Res. 2018 Feb 7;10:239-248. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S149619. PMID: 29445300; PMCID: PMC5808709.
Mattiuzzi C, Lippi G. Current Cancer Epidemiology. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2019 Dec;9(4):217-222. doi: 10.2991/jegh.k.191008.001. PMID: 31854162; PMCID: PMC7310786.
Yao, L. H. et al. Flavonoids in food and their health benefits. Plant Foods Hum Nut 59, 113–122 (2004
Dekker E, Tanis PJ, Vleugels JLA, Kasi PM, Wallace MB. Colorectal cancer. Lancet. 2019 Oct 19;394(10207):1467-1480. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32319-0. PMID: 31631858.
NFZ; programy profilaktyczne; program badań przesiewowych raka jelita grubego 2023.
He X, Sun LM. Dietary intake of flavonoid subclasses and risk of colorectal cancer: evidence from population studies. Oncotarget. 2016 May 3;7(18):26617-27. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.8562. PMID: 27058896; PMCID: PMC5042003.
A Davidson. Principles & Practice of Surgery; Sixth edition; red. O. James Garden, Andrew W. Bradbury, John L.R. Forsythe, Rowan W. Parks, 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved ISBN 978-0-7020-4316-1.
Chang H, Lei L, Zhou Y, Ye F, Zhao G. Dietary Flavonoids and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Studies. Nutrients. 2018 Jul 23;10(7):950. doi: 10.3390/nu10070950. PMID: 30041489; PMCID: PMC6073812.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Rafał Niemiec, Justyna Branewska, Barbara Ostrowska, Mikołaj Matysek, Anna Olszanicka, Jan Imioło, Anna Maciąg, Izabela Hop, Kacper Kołodziejczyk, Adam Galas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The periodical offers access to content in the Open Access system under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0
Stats
Number of views and downloads: 548
Number of citations: 0
