Potential oncotherapeutic effects of nutraceuticals against hepatocellular carcinoma: recent advancements

Abstract

Worldwide, Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequently diagnosed cancer, having significant variations in its epidemiology. It ranks as the sixth prevailing neoplasm and is considered the third leading cause of mortality due to cancer. It accounts for 90% of primary liver cancers. Till date, an effective prevention or treatment is absent except for liver resection, chemotherapy and a frequently applied drug -sorafenib. Recently, various plant products and nutraceuticals are found to be effective in the treatment of HCC. ‘Nutraceuticals’ is a term that brings into light the two giants of health sciences – nutrient and pharmaceutical. Nutraceuticals provide medical or health benefits and include prevention or treatment of a disease. These are generally ‘functional foods’, which are whole, or ‘fortified, enriched and enhanced’ in nutritional value to satisfy the required amount of essential nutrients and to confer health benefits. This study is based on the recent advancements achieved in the field of HCC treatment using a variety of emerging nutraceuticals that are effective, solely, or act as an adjuvant in its treatment. Nutraceuticals such as standardized extracts of ginger, fucoidan, curcumin, pro-anthocyanidins, epigallocatechin gallate, apigenin and other nutraceuticals are being studied extensively for their efficacy against HCC along with their proposed mechanism of action or potential targets for the treatment or prevention of HCC.