Therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of natural flavonoids in liver cancer

Introduction

Cancer is the prominent cause of death globally, which accounts for the major economic burden in health sector in both developed and developing countries. There are various deleterious forms of cancer affecting the prostate, lung, blood, colon, mouth, liver and other organs. Although modern techniques to diagnose cancer are now available but the effective treatment is still is a challenge to modern therapeutics. Various antibiotics and antimetabolites are commonly employed for the management of cancer which leads to adverse situation due to the development of multidrug resistance.

Methods

This review aims to describe the efficacy of poly-phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, as anti-liver cancer agents along with their molecular mechanisms of action. In view of this, cognate literature databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the web in general were consulted for comprehensible materials on liver cancer, flavonoids and molecular mechanisms of action.

Results

This review pinpoints the pharmacological properties of flavonoids and their various potential therapeutic applications. The nanoparticles formed from flavonoids such as quercetin, kaempferol, fisetin, myricetin, morin, rutin, scutellarin, kurarinol, tangeritin, chyrsin, hesperidin, among others have also been explored for their therapeutic efficacy against liver cancer. These flavonoid-conjugated nanoparticles may offer enhanced bioavailability and targeted drug delivery. Furthermore, this review demonstrated the anticancer effects of flavonoid based compounds against liver cancer via various mechanisms including cell cycle arrest, cytokines release, pro-inflammatory response, autophagy and angiogenesis.

Conclusion

Flavonoids have a high therapeutic potential and could be exploited to develop novel medications in modern medicine. In addition, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis of liver cancer is critical for developing innovative therapies.