Pharmacological Intervention through Dietary Nutraceuticals in Gastrointestinal Neoplasia

Abstract

Neoplastic conditions associated with gastrointestinal (GI) tract are common worldwide with colorectal cancer alone accounting for the third leading rate of cancer incidence. Other GI malignancies such as esophageal carcinoma have shown an increasing trend in the last few years. The poor survival statistics of these fatal cancer diseases highlight the need for multiple alternative treatment options along with effective prophylactic strategies. Worldwide geographical variation in cancer incidence indicates a correlation between dietary habits and cancer risk. Epidemiological studies have suggested that populations with high intake of certain dietary agents in their regular meals have lower cancer rates. Thus, an impressive embodiment of evidence supports the concept that dietary factors are key modulators of cancer including those of GI origin. Preclinical studies on animal models of carcinogenesis have reflected the pharmacological significance of certain dietary agents called as nutraceuticals in the chemoprevention of GI neoplasia. These include stilbenes (from red grapes and red wine), isoflavones (from soy), carotenoids (from tomatoes), curcuminoids (from spice turmeric), catechins (from green tea), and various other small plant metabolites (from fruits, vegetables, and cereals). Pleiotropic action mechanisms have been reported for these diet-derived chemopreventive agents to retard, block, or reverse carcinogenesis. This review presents a prophylactic approach to primary prevention of GI cancers by highlighting the translational potential of plant-derived nutraceuticals from epidemiological, laboratory, and clinical studies, for the better management of these cancers through consumption of nutraceutical rich diets and their intervention in cancer therapeutics.

Keywords:

• Gastric neoplasm
• colon cancer
• aberrant cryptic foci
• chemoprevention
• pharmacological intervention
• nutraceutical
• clinical trials
• curcumin
• resveratrol
• gamma-amino butyric acid
• lycopene
• epigallocatechin-3-gallate

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thankfully acknowledge the authors and the publishers of the articles from where the Figure 3 & Figure 4 have been reproduced. Further, the authors want to admittedly mention that although the authors tried to provide a comprehensive overview on the subject the authors might have inadvertently missed few good studies and relevant observations related to the field of study.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this manuscript.