Abstract
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), the natural polyphenol responsible for the characteristic yellow pigment of the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), is traditionally known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties. Capable of affecting the initiation, promotion, and progression of carcinogenesis through multiple mechanisms, curcumin has potential utility for both chemoprevention and chemotherapy. In human cancer cell lines, curcumin has been shown to decrease ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, a rate-limiting enzyme in polyamine biosynthesis that is frequently upregulated in cancer and other rapidly proliferating tissues. Numerous studies have demonstrated that pretreatment with curcumin can abrogate carcinogen-induced ODC activity and tumor development in rodent tumorigenesis models targeting various organs. This review summarizes the results of curcumin exposure with regard to the modulation of polyamine metabolism and discusses the potential utility of this natural compound in conjunction with the exploitation of dysregulated polyamine metabolism in chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic settings.
Highlights
Chemoprevention entails the long-term use of synthetic or natural agents by healthy individuals, those with a predisposing cancer risk, to delay disease onset
The potential targeting of polyamine biosynthesis as an antiproliferative strategy came with the recognition that elevated polyamine biosynthesis was a general requirement for the survival of cancer cells [32,33,34]
Rats in both curcumin groups demonstrated impressive reductions in the frequency of tongue neoplasms: 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (NQO)-induced carcinomas were reduced from 54% of the animals to 5% when curcumin was added at the initiation phase and to 15%
Summary
Chemoprevention entails the long-term use of synthetic or natural agents by healthy individuals, those with a predisposing cancer risk, to delay disease onset. Natural products derived from foods are at an advantage due to their accessibility and history of safe consumption. Epithelial cancers are often age-related cancers: through its long-term, direct interaction with environmental and dietary factors, the epithelium has the greatest potential for interactions that might prevent or modulate the course of tumorigenesis. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers have one of the greatest potentials for dietary factor influence. As approximately 20% of cancers worldwide are associated with infection or inflammation [1,2], the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties associated with many natural products might be of particular value. Nutritional components have the potential to participate in therapeutic strategies, and elucidating the molecular mechanisms of these agents, including traditional medicines, is providing clues as to how they might best be incorporated into treatment regimens
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
