This document discusses various phytochemicals and nutraceuticals that may help prevent cancer, including carotenoids, flavonoids, isoflavones, saponins, tannins, ellagic acid, pectin, phenolic compounds, glucosinolates, sulfur compounds, lycopene, beta-carotene, curcumin, and antioxidants. Many of these compounds are found in fruits and vegetables and act as antioxidants or block enzymes that promote tumor growth. More research is still needed to fully understand their cancer prevention effects.

1. 8th semester

2. Nutraceuticals For Cancer Disease: Cancer has emerged as a
major public health problem in developing countries.
A healthy lifestyle and diet can help in the prevention of cancer.
 Carotenoids are a group of phytochemicals liable for different
colors of foods.
 They have antioxidant activities and are effective in cancer
prevention.
 Recent interest in carotenoids has focused on the role of lycopene
in human health, especially in cancer disease

3. Plants rich in daidzein, biochanin, isoflavones, and genistein, also
inhibit prostate cancer cell growth.
 Because of the unsaturated nature of lycopene, and it is
considered to be a potent antioxidant and a singlet oxygen
quencher.
Lycopene concentrates in the prostate, testes, skin, and adrenal
where it protects against cancer.
The linkage between carotenoids and the prevention of cancer and
heightened the importance of vegetables and fruits in the human
diet.

4. Flavonoids can protect against cancer by acting as antioxidants.
Soy foods are a unique dietary source of isoflavones, the
polyphenolic phytochemicals exemplified by epigallocatechin
gallate from tea, curcumin from curry, and soy isoflavones
possess cancer chemo-preventive properties.
 Soybean seems to offer protection against breast, uterine, lung.
colorectal, and prostate cancers. β-carotene is found in yellow,
orange, and green leafy vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes,
lettuce, oranges, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots,
spinach, and winter squash have anticancer activity.

5. Saponins are reported to possess antimutagenic and antitumor
activities and might lower the risk of human cancers, by
preventing cancer cells from growing.
 Saponins are phytochemicals that can be found in peas,
soybeans, and some herbs with names indicating foaming
properties such as soapberry, soapwort, and soapbark.
They are also present in tomatoes, potatoes, alfalfa, spinach,
and clover. Commercial saponins are extracted mainly from
Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria

6. Tannins also scavenge harmful free radicals and detoxify
carcinogens.
Tannins are present in grapes. lentils, tea, blackberries,
blueberries, and cranberries are proven anticarcinogens is used in
alternative medicine and to prevent cancer.
Ellagic acid is present in walnuts, pecans, strawberries.
cranberries, pomegranates, and red raspberry seeds. It is an
anticancer agent.

7. Pectin is a soluble fiber found in apples has been shown to prevent
prostate cancer metastasis by inhibiting the cancer cells from
adhering to other cells in the body.
Naturally occurring phenolic acid derivatives are reported to
possess potential anticancer properties.
Phenolic compounds such as curcumin, gallic acids, ferulic, and
caffeic acid are reported to possess anticancer activity.
Glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products, including indoles and
isothiocyanates, and high intake of cruciferous vegetables have
been associated with a lower risk of colorectal and lung cancer.
Bio-transformation products of glucosinolates include
Dithiolethiones isothiocyanates, and sulforaphane. They block the
enzymes that promote tumor growth, particularly in the liver,
colon, lung, breast, stomach, and oesophagus.

8. The sulfur compounds, in garlic, have been found to boost the
immune system and reduce atherogenesis and platelet
stickiness, and cancer.
Sulforaphane rich in broccoli is a potent phase 2 enzyme
inducer.
 It produces D-glucuronolactone, a significant inhibitor of
breast cancer.
Sulforaphane is an antioxidant and stimulator of natural
detoxifying enzymes, Sulforaphane has been reported to
reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

9. Lycopene (from the neo-Latin Lycopersicum, the tomato species)
is a bright red carotenoid hydrocarbon found in tomatoes and
other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons,
grapefruits, and papayas, but it is not present in strawberries or
cherries.
 Lycopene is a naturally occurring red carotenoid pigment that is
responsible in red to pink colors seen in tomatoes, pink
grapefruit, and other foods. Having a chemical formula of
C40H56 lycopene is a tetraterpene assembled from eight isoprene
units that are solely composed of carbon and hydrogen.
Lycopene contained vegetables and fruits exert a cancer-
protective effect via a decrease in oxidative stress and damage to
DNA. Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids and is found

10.  Beta carotene is a red-orange pigment found in plants and fruits,
especially carrots and colorful vegetables.
 The name beta carotene comes from the Greek “beta” and Latin “carota”
(carrot). It is the yellow/orange pigment that gives vegetables and fruits
their rich colors.
 β-Carotene is an organic, strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant
in fungi, plants, and fruits.
 It is a member of the carotenes, which are terpenoids (isoprenoids),
synthesized biochemically from eight isoprene units and thus having 40
carbons.
 It has antioxidant activity and prevents cancer and other diseases.
Among the carotenes β – carotene has the most antioxidant activity.
Alpha-carotene possesses 50-54% of the antioxidant activity of β-
carotene, whereas epsilon carotene has 42-50% of the antioxidant
activity.

11. Chronic inflammation is associated with high cancer risk. Chronic
inflammation is also associated with immune suppression, which is
a risk factor for cancer. Ginseng is an example of an anti-
inflammatory molecule that targets many of the key players in the
inflammation-to-cancer sequence.
Nowadays, phytochemicals with cancer-preventive properties have
been on high attention. Chemo- preventive components in fruits and
vegetables, among other beneficial health effects, have potential
anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic activities.
A broad range of phytopharmaceuticals with a claimed hormonal
activity, called “phytoestrogens,” is recommended for the prevention
of prostate and breast cancers.

12. Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by Curcuma longa
plants.
It is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric (Curcuma longa), a
member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae.
Turmeric contains 3-6% polyphenolic compounds, collectively
known as curcuminoids, which is a mixture of curcumin,
dimethoxy-curcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin.
 Pure curcumin has more potent superoxide anion scavenging
activity than dimethoxy-curcumin or bisdemethoxycurcumin.
Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the plant Curcuma longa,
commonly called turmeric, Curcumin has been reported to possess
antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.

13. Consumption of fruits and vegetables having cysteine, glutathione,
selenium. Vitamin E Vitamin C. lycopene and various
phytochemicals elevate the levels of antioxidative capacity.
However, more investigations are needed to determine their
beneficial effects in cancer prevention and treatment.
Large-scale clinical trials suggest that some agents such as green
tea, Vitamins D and E, selenium, lycopene, soy, anti-inflammatory,
and inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase [also known as
dihydrotestosterone (DHT) blockers] are a class of medications with
antiandrogenic effects which are used primarily in the treatment of
enlarged prostate and scalp hair loss], are effective in preventing
prostate cancer.
.

14. Several studies have shown the values of alternative and
complementary medicine as an adjuvant to chemotherapy or
radiotherapy.
 Complementary therapy may be reliable and useful supportive
measure for prostate cancer patients.
The majority of the studies have shown a preventive role for
nutraceuticals in cancer, however, more elaborate studies are needed.

15. It is suggested that the following considerations should be taken on
the future use of nutraceuticals for disease prevention:
• Synthesis of analogs, to further increase the efficacy of a
promising nutraceutical. One can use it as a chemical template for
combinatorial synthesis.
• Identification of molecular targets. With the molecular targets
of nutraceuticals being known it may be possible to develop more
refined chemicals that specifically target those commonly shared
sites.
• Synergistic effect with the understanding of the molecular
action of each nutraceutical, one can test possible synergistic effects
on chemo-prevention by using two or more nutraceuticals or
derivatives.