title: The therapeutic potential of flavonoids.
abstract: Four most widely investigated flavonoids, flavopiridol, catechins, genistein and quercetin are reviewed in this article. Flavopiridol is a novel semisynthetic flavone analogue of rohitukine, a leading anticancer compound from an Indian tree. Flavopiridol inhibits most cyclin-dependent kinases and displays unique anticancer properties. It is the first cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor to be tested in Phase II clinical trials. Catechin and its gallate are major ingredients in green tea and their anti-oxidant and cancer preventive effects have been widely investigated. A Phase I study of green tea extract GTE-TP91 has been conducted in adult patients with solid tumours. Similarly, genistein is a major ingredient in soybean and has been shown to prevent cancer and have antitumour, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Two antibody-genistein conjugates, B43-genistein and EGF-genistein, are currently in clinical development for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and breast cancer, respectively. Finally, most recent updates of quercetin are briefly described.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Room 323, Beard Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7360, USA. hwang@email.unc.edu
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002392:Catechin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / Q000379:methods; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019833:Genistein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011794:Quercetin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D010880:Piperidines; C077990:alvocidib; D002392:Catechin; D011794:Quercetin; D019833:Genistein