Nutraceuticals for the Prevention and Cure of Cancer

Abstract

Despite better healthcare system and advanced technology, the morbidity and mortality due to cancer are high in the western countries as compared to that in eastern world. Conversely, an increase in cancer incidence has been reported in the eastern world during recent years most likely due to the changes in lifestyle and food habits. The available cancer drugs provide only little benefits to the patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that Mother Nature has been a great source of medicine in as much as almost 70{\%} of the current drugs have originated from Nature. Nutraceutical that refers to the food or food products with nutritional values has emerged as novel agents for cancer prevention and cure. Contrary to rationally designed drugs, nutraceuticals are multi-targeted and inexpensive and are reportedly safe. Chemically, nutraceuticals are diverse and can target multi-steps of tumor development. The anticancer potential of nutraceuticals has been demonstrated at the molecular, cellular, animal, and human levels. The cancer-related molecular targets of nutraceuticals include pro-inflammatory molecules, protein kinases, receptors, transcription factors, etc. Some of the common nutraceuticals with anticancer activities include caffeic acid, capsaicin, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, flavopiridol, genistein, resveratrol, sanguinarine, and tocotrienol. Nutraceuticals have also been structurally modified for better bioavailability and efficacy. These agents are also used in combination to enhance the efficacy of existing drugs. In this chapter, we discuss the therapeutic potential of nutraceuticals against cancer. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of nutraceuticals are discussed.