title: Spices for Prevention and Treatment of Cancers.
abstract: Spices have been widely used as food flavorings and folk medicines for thousands of years. Numerous studies have documented the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of spices, which might be related to prevention and treatment of several cancers, including lung, liver, breast, stomach, colorectum, cervix, and prostate cancers. Several spices are potential sources for prevention and treatment of cancers, such as Curcuma longa (tumeric), Nigella sativa (black cumin), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Allium sativum (garlic), Crocus sativus (saffron), Piper nigrum (black pepper) and Capsicum annum (chili pepper), which contained several important bioactive compounds, such as curcumin, thymoquinone, piperine and capsaicin. The main mechanisms of action include inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion of tumors, and sensitizing tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This review summarized recent studies on some spices for prevention and treatment of cancers, and special attention was paid to bioactive components and mechanisms of action.
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. zhengj37@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. zhouyue3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. liya28@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. xudp@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Dong-Ping
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. u3003781@connect.hku.hk.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. lihuabin@mail.sysu.edu.cn.|South China Sea Bioresource Exploitation and Utilization Collaborative Innovation Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China. lihuabin@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hua-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D016227:Benzoquinones / Q000494:pharmacology; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002212:Capsicum / Q000737:chemistry; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D027622:Crocus / Q000737:chemistry; D030024:Curcuma / Q000737:chemistry; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry; D020939:Zingiber officinale / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D029222:Piper nigrum / Q000737:chemistry; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017365:Spices
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D052117:Benzodioxoles; D016227:Benzoquinones; D010880:Piperidines; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D003474:Curcumin; C003466:thymoquinone; D002211:Capsaicin; C008922:piperine
keywords: cancer; capsaicin; curcumin; spice; thymoquinone