Flavonol Quercetin: Immunomodulatory And Anticancer Properties

Abstract

Background: Cancer is one of the critical, challenging problems in a clinical setting among non-infectious diseases and poses a considerable burden to the community for its highest fatalities and associated morbidities. Immunotherapy has paid much attention to curbing cancer and protecting against advanced metastasis. Nutritional sources have been well known for their anticancer properties for centuries, although they exhibited multiple intricated mechanisms to deter this notorious disease. Immune-based therapy is getting popular in modern days to fight against various illnesses, including cancer. In recent years, numerous in vitro and clinical trials have been carried out regarding the potential use of flavonoids in cancer therapy; however, the results and achievements were still controversial and obscure. More research on immune-mediated anticancer therapy has to be done to understand more explicit mechanisms of how plant-derived compounds modulate immune cells and subsequent clinical uses. One of the most commonly tested flavonoid compounds that stimulate immune cells and offer significant immune-mediated anticancer activities is flavonol quercetin.
 Objectives: This present review summarises an updated overview of quercetin, focusing on its anticancer effects. In addition to its chemistry and sources, quercetin’s immunomodulatory properties and the common signalling mechanisms have also been described and proposed the possible research gap for further investigation and future research.
 Conclusion: This review would provide a new comparative view regarding quercetin’s immunomodulatory and anticancer activities. Moreover, we conclude that quercetin plays a crucial role in eradicating cancer cells and modulating immune cells’ activity based on the literature. It is worthwhile to extensively investigate quercetin’s anticancer and immunomodulatory effects in clinical settings.
 Key words: Cancer, flavonol, quercetin, anticancer, immunomodulation