Flavonoids as promising molecules in the cancer therapy: An insight

Cancer continues to increase global morbidity and mortality rates. Despite substantial progress in the development of various chemically synthesized anti-cancer drugs, the poor prognosis of the disease still remains a big challenge. The most common drawback of conventional cancer therapies is the emergence of drug resistance eventually leading to the discontinuation of chemotherapy. Moreover, advanced target-specific therapies including immunotherapy and stem cell therapy are expensive enough and are unaffordable for most patients in poorer nations. Therefore, alternative and cheaper therapeutic strategies are needed to complement the current cancer treatment approaches. Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds produced naturally by plants and have great potential in human health and disease. These compounds possess antiproliferative, anti-oxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Among the phytochemicals, flavonoids are very effective in treating a wide range of diseases from cardiovascular diseases and immunological disorders to cancer. They scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibit cancer metastasis, modulate the immune system and induce apoptotic or autophagic cell death in cancers. This review will discuss the potential of various phytochemicals particularly flavonoids in attempts to target various cancers.