Insights & Discussion
Compounds found in green tea, especially EGCG, show significant anti-cancer activity and hold promise as potential anticancer drugs or adjuvants to standard chemotherapy.
The study used a combination of epidemiological and laboratory studies to examine the effects of catechins in green tea on combating cancer. The researchers focused their attention on the four main catechin derivatives found in green tea: epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate—the latter found to be most potent. Attention was given to the quantity of hydroxyl groups and the presence of certain structural groups in these compounds, and how these factors affected antioxidant activity.
The study centered around the effects of catechins on tumor survival, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. By doing this, the researchers could observe the influence of the identified compounds on the various processes that lead to the development and spread of cancer. The main point of observation was the capacity of catechins to neutralize reactive oxygen species, a key facet in their anti-cancer activity.
Discover Related Insights
Noni, a medicinal plant, has illustrated diverse anticancer properties across different cancer models through numerous mechanisms including antitumor and immunomodulatory activities.
2022 Integrative Cancer Therapies Efficacy and Safety of Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) as a Potential Anticancer Agent Chanthira Kumar H, Lim XY, Mohkiar FH, Suhaimi SN, Mohammad Shafie N, Chin Tan TY
Anticancer Noni
A systematic review was undertaken to compile scientific evidence on the anticancer properties of Noni. The process involved the use of predefined search terms across five electronic databases - MEDLINE, CENTRAL, LILACS, Web of Science, and EBSCOHost. As a result, 51 clinical and preclinical studies, of which 41 were efficacy and 10 safety studies, were used for this review.
The results of this review demonstrated that Noni exhibited various anticancer properties across differing cancer models. These effects were undertaken through multiple mechanisms ranging from antitumor, antiproliferative, and pro-apoptotic to antiangiogenesis, antimigratory, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory activities. This underscores the potential value of Noni as a medicinal plant in cancer treatment.
The Lycium ruthenicum Murr variety of goji berry exhibits a stronger antioxidant activity and antiproliferative effect on cancer cells compared to Lycium barbarum L.
2021 Food & Function Goji berry (Lycium spp.) extracts exhibit antiproliferative activity via modulating cell cycle arrest, cell apoptosis, and the p53 signaling pathway Xiong L, Deng N, Zheng B, Li T, Liu RH
Experimental Study Anticancer Antioxidant
For methodology, the researchers examined the phytochemical profiles of two different varieties of goji berries: Lycium ruthenicum Murr (LRM) and Lycium barbarum L. (LB). They then evaluated the antioxidant activity of these varieties using multiple assays. For the assessments of antiproliferative effect, they tested the ability of high dose LRM and LB supplementation to interfere with cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis in MDA cells, a specific type of cancer cells.
In the discussion of results, it was found that LRM overpowered LB in both antioxidant activity and antiproliferative mechanism, owing to its higher total phenolics and flavonoids. LB, while it was higher in VE and carotenoids, had less remarkable effects on cell cycle interference and apoptosis induction. Both LRM and LB triggered the activation of a proliferation-related signaling pathway; however, LB did not manage to lower the levels of two specific proteins which indicates a weaker antiproliferative effect. Despite these differences, both varieties were considered potential assets for managing the growth of cancerous cells and enhancing human health.
The major components of green tea and coffee, EGCG and CGA respectively, may have anti-cancer effects, though these effects seem to vary for different types of cancer.
2020 Molecules Anti-Cancer Effects of Green Tea Epigallocatchin-3-Gallate and Coffee Chlorogenic Acid Hayakawa S, Ohishi T, Miyoshi N, Oishi Y, Nakamura Y, Isemura M
Experimental Study Anticancer Chlorogenic Acid Coffee
Studies were conducted across cell-based and animal trials to explore the health benefits, particularly in anticancer effects, of epigallocatechin gallate (known as EGCG) and chlorogenic acid (CGA), the predominant elements in green tea and coffee, respectively. It was observed that the results were inconsistent due to possible confounding factors.
A conceivable mechanism suggested, a part of those shared between EGCG and CGA, was related to the alterations in reactive oxygen species. However, the variance in the anti-cancer effects may be attributed to the different target molecules of EGCG and CGA, signifying the site-specific differences of anti-cancer effects observed in human studies.