An overview of cancer chemopreventive potential and safety of proanthocyanidins.
Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide. Over two-thirds of cancer-related deaths could most probably be prevented through lifestyle modification, particularly through dietary means. Proanthocyanidins (PAs), the most abundant polyphenolic substances after lignin in the plant kingdom, have been widely investigated for their chemopreventive potential. The PAs literature has, however, been mostly concerned with positive cardiovascular activities, and recent reviews about cancer chemoprevention are scarce. The present review highlights a series of in vitro and in vivo studies indicating ( 1 ) that PAs can act as anticarcinogenic agents through their antioxidant, apoptosis-inducing, immuno-modulating, and/or enzyme modulating properties, effects on epigenetics; and ( 2 ) that PAs could be particularly safe dietary compounds. These convergent data encourage further research to better understand the many aspects of cancer chemoprevention by PAs.
Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Bromatology and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. mustapha ouedraogo@yahoo.fr
Moustapha
M
Ouédraogo
Catherine
C
Charles
Moussa
M
Ouédraogo
Innocent Pierre
IP
Guissou
Caroline
C
Stévigny
Pierre
P
Duez
D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants; D017209:Apoptosis; D001682:Biological Availability; D004032:Diet; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008019:Life Style; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D044945:Proanthocyanidins