Abstract
Pectin is a branched polysaccharide present widely in a variety of fruits. It has been of high interes t to cancer biologists due to its involvement in metal/c arcinogen detoxification and its anti-carcinogenic properties. In particular, Citrus Pectin (CP) and M odified Citrus Pectin (MCP) have been shown to have a significant inhibitory role in cancer cell metastas is, invasion, angiogenesis and survival. The intera ctions and inactivation of oncogenes by CP and MCP in prostate, breast, liver, lung, melanoma and multiple myeloma cancers suggest that CP and MCP could play an important role in cancer chemotherapy and chemoprevention. In this review, we focus on the bi ological function of pectin with respect to its pro perties, sources, structure and its potential role in carcin ogen detoxification and cancer suppression.
Highlights
In today’s world, in developing countries, humans are exposed more than ever to a wide variety of toxins
In this review we primarily focus on pectin, Citrus Pectin (CP), Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) and cancer treatment
A number of studies show that CP and MCP have potential anticarcinogenic effects and suppress many human cancer cell activities
Summary
In today’s world, in developing countries, humans are exposed more than ever to a wide variety of toxins. Toxin accumulation in the body can occur by exposure to a toxic environment or by consuming an improper diet (Jew et al, 2009). Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that environmental toxins, as well as other factors, caused 7.6 million cancer deaths in 2008 and is expected to increase to 11.4 million by 2030 (Jemal et al, 2010) Once these toxic chemicals/metals accumulate in the body, they cannot be fully eliminated unless they undergo a detoxification process. Several recent independent studies have shown that MCP plays an important role in carcinogen detoxification and cancer suppression by its interaction with different oncogenes in cancer cells (Glinsky and Raz, 2009). We focus on pectin and modified citrus pectin, their structural properties and their important role in detoxification and cancer suppression
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