Flavones anticancer activity

Chen, J., Montanari, A.M., and Widmer, W.W., Two new pol5nnethoxylated flavones, a class of compounds with potential anticancer activity, isolated from cold pressed dancy tangerine peel oil solids, J. Agric. Food Chem., 45, 364, 1997. 

Flavones are known to possess anticancer activity, along with selective inhibition of both cyclindependent kinases (CDK s) and tyrosine kinases. The resemblance of aurone to combretastatin A-4 made it an... 

Other aetive eomponents exist in Larrea, including flavones, flavonols, and liavonoids, which also exhibit anticancer activity. Additionally, the phenolic-type eompoimds present have germicidal properties, which can be interpreted as providing an antiviral aetion — as does grape juice, for instance, which has also been proposed as a eaneer treatment or cure. Furthermore, the whole may be greater than its parts (synergism), and the plant in its entirety may be more active than any of its chemical parts. 

Tangeretin is a citrus flavone that inhibits the release of both ROS by human neutrophils and histamine by human basophils. In addition, it inhibits the proliferation of malignant tumor cells in vitro. Hirano et al. [144] demonstrated that the compound s anticancer activity is mediated in part through induction of apoptosis, but that this occurs without affecting the immune cells. 

Many researchers have conducted in vitro studies on the potential anticancer activity of flavones and flavonols in diverse cell systems. An array of 55 flavones having a variety of substituents was evaluated by Cushman and Nagarathnam for cytotoxicity in five cancer cell cultures, A-549 lung carcinoma, MCF-7 breast carcinoma, HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma, SKMEL-5 melanoma, and MLM melanoma [151]. Other reports also revealed that flavones and flavonols exhibited cytotoxicity in vitro to many human cell lines, including esophageal cancer cells [152, 153], colon cancer cells [154, 155], hepatoma cells [156, 157], prostate carcinoma cells [158, 159], and cervical carcinoma cells [160, 161],... 

LUT belongs to the sub-class of flavonoids known as flavones, and is one of the most bio-active flavonoids. It is found mainly in parsley, thyme, and peanut hull. Possesses in its molecular structure two benzene rings linked through a heteroc cle. One of the benzene ring has two hydroxyls in the meta position (resorcinol) and the other ring has two hydroxyls in ortho position (catechol). LUT is important since several beneficial effects on human health have been reported, such as cardiovascular protection, anticancer activity, anti-allergic activity and the prevention of cataracts (Lopez-Lazaro, 2009). 

Using the technique of activity-guided chromatographic isolation, it is possible to generate many structurally novel bioactive plant secondary metabolites, and examples have been provided in this chapter of plant secondary metabolites with potential anticancer or potential cancer chemopreventive activity, comprised by compounds representative of the chal-cone, flavanone, flavone, furocoumarin, isoflavone, lignan, oligostilbenoid (resveratrol... 

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