Article Review : Understanding the Mechanistic Role of Flavonoids in Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Author(s):
Nabaa Saeed Aneed , Sura basheer hassan , Sarah Majid kadhum
Date: 08/10/2026
doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8425890
Abstract
Cancer is one of the major causes of death in the world. The existing treatment methods mainly utilize
surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy; these treatment methods are widely utilized, but do not work
well with some types of tumors because of their very expensive nature, side effects and adverse reactions.
Anti-cancer agents that have been developed recently are effective yet costly. Consequently, it is now vital
to find alternative candidate drugs that will improve the efficacy of treatment and decrease the cost of
therapy. Food dietary bioactive compounds have become the focus of attention as fast absorbed
phytochemicals with the potential to regulate cellular activity and possibly have preventive and/or
therapeutic effects on cancer. One of the key groups of bioactive compounds which are food- and
beverage-derived has been reported to be flavanols, which are also known as flavonoids, which are
candidate anticancer agents. The mechanistic study can be used to narrow down lead candidates to
subsequent in vivo examination. Flavonoids comprise a group of polyphenolic compounds of varied
chemical structures that occur naturally. These pigments help plants to resist ultraviolet (UV) radiation
and act as attractants to pollination and seed scattering. Flavonoids are common in the plant kingdom and
they are frequently eaten by humans. The curiosity about medicinal plants has increased, and it has
triggered the assessment of the medicinal preparations to become modernized to the business realm. The
importance of the flavonoids has been derived because of the availability of many of them in most of the
foods that are readily available like fruits and vegetables, and because of the wide range of biological and
pharmacological activities, which are deemed desirable in lowering the rate of occurrence of various
ailments, anti-allergic, anti-inflammation, anticancer and cardiovascular protection. It is known that
flavonoids have anticancer effects which work in various ways. As such, the clarification of the anticancer
properties of flavonoids would assist in identifying the potential candidates in the identification of new
anticancer agents, in addition to the preparation of anticancer drugs using natural and/or traditional
medicine.
Download Full Text