Bioactive Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention

Cancer chemoprevention involves the use of natural or synthetic agents to inhibit, delay or reverse carcinogenesis before the development of invasive disease. Among these agents, bioactive compounds derived from dietary sources and medicinal plants have attracted considerable attention for their multitargeted actions and favourable safety profiles. Major classes include polyphenols (such as flavonoids and stilbenes), sulphur-containing isothiocyanates, terpenoids, alkaloids and vitamins. These molecules may exert antioxidant effects, modulate phase I and phase II metabolising enzymes, suppress chronic inflammation, induce apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in premalignant or malignant cells, inhibit angiogenesis and reverse epigenetic alterations. Practical applications range from fortified foods and nutraceuticals to adjunctive therapies that enhance the efficacy of conventional treatments through synergistic interactions and improved bioavailability. Taken together, research into bioactive chemopreventive compounds underscores a global strategy to reduce cancer incidence by integrating nutritional, pharmacological and molecular approaches.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Bioactive Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in bioactive compounds in cancer chemoprevention across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Chemoprevention: Use of natural or synthetic agents to block or reverse the early stages of carcinogenesis.

Apoptosis: Programmed cell death characterised by nuclear fragmentation and membrane blebbing, eliminating damaged or premalignant cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen that can induce DNA damage but also trigger apoptosis in cancer cells.

Cell-cycle arrest: Interruption of cell-division progression, often at G1 or G2 checkpoints, to prevent proliferation of damaged or transformed cells.

Bioavailability: Proportion of an administered compound that reaches systemic circulation and is available for biological activity.

References

1. Cancer Chemoprevention and Piperine: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2018).
2. Molecular and pharmacological aspects of piperine as a potential molecule for disease prevention and management: evidence from clinical trials. Beni-Suef University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences (2022).
3. Phytochemistry and therapeutic potential of black pepper [Piper nigrum (L.)] essential oil and piperine: a review. Clinical Phytoscience (2021).