Abstract
Hematologic malignancies constitute about 9% of all new cases of cancers as reported via the GLOBOCAN series by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2008. So far, the conventional therapeutic and surgical approaches to cancer therapy have not been able to curtail the rising incidence of cancers, including hematological malignancies, worldwide. The last decade has witnessed great research interest in biological activities of phenolic compounds that include anticancer, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, among other things. A large number of anticancer agents combat cancer through cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and differentiation, as well as through inhibition of cell growth and proliferation, or a combination of two or more of these mechanisms. Various phenolic compounds from different sources have been reported to be promising anticancer agents by acting through one of these mechanisms. Honey, which has a long history of human consumption both for medicinal and nutritional uses, contains a variety of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins and tannins. This paper presents a review on the molecular mechanisms of the anti-leukemic activity of various phenolic compounds on cell cycle, cell growth and proliferation and apoptosis, and it advocates that more studies should be conducted to determine the potential role of honey in both chemoprevention and chemotherapy in leukemia.
Highlights
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) via its GLOBOCAN series estimated that about 12.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer and approximately 7.6 million died from the disease in 2008 [1]
Polyphenols have met the above definition of chemoprevention by virtue of their ability to inhibit the different stages of cancer development i.e., tumor initiation, promotion and progression, which could be achieved through inactivation of carcinogen or inhibition of its formation, growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and differentiation, angiogenesis inhibition, and anti-oxidation or combination of these effects [3]
We present a review on the evaluation of biological activities of the various phenolic compounds in honey on cell cycle, cell growth and proliferation, as well as induction of apoptosis, with a view that subsequent elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of their actions will provide considerable hint for the development of newer cancer chemotherapeutic and chemo preventive agents
Summary
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) via its GLOBOCAN series estimated that about 12.7 million people were diagnosed with cancer and approximately 7.6 million died from the disease in 2008 [1]. Phenolic compounds (polyphenols) are made up of various groups of metabolites commonly found in the human diet and represent different forms of chemo-preventive agents that have been extensively studied in the last decade [3]. They are widely distributed in the plants and found naturally in a variety of fruits and vegetables [5] as well as in honey, propolis and royal jelly [6,7,8]. Polyphenols have met the above definition of chemoprevention by virtue of their ability to inhibit the different stages of cancer development i.e., tumor initiation, promotion and progression, which could be achieved through inactivation of carcinogen or inhibition of its formation, growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis and differentiation, angiogenesis inhibition, and anti-oxidation or combination of these effects [3]
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