Flavonoids are polyphenol antioxidants that can be found in plants, herbs and other aliments. They have been documented as cancer preventive agents and are very useful active constituents of herbs and plants responsible for many of the beneficial properties exerted by those ones, as for example their anti-aging effect (Ginkgo biloba, Calendula...etc.) and their free radical scavenging action (antioxidant), preventing cancer occurrence...etc.

Flavonoids also exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties, being also able to decrease capillary fragility [3], but what is more important, a study by Susan Steck of the Arnol School of Public Health shows that they can have an even more important function as Flavonoids may lower the risk of highly aggressive prostate cancer occurrence. Image: Fruit at North Market in Columbus, OH. by Lisa Sinclair under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

A new chemotherapy drug developed by the University of Minnesota may hold the secret key to fight pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal types of cancers, and once again it is based in a natural active constituent derived from a Chinese herb used in many traditional herbal remedies since centuries ago, Thunder God Vine (Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook).

Tripterygium wilfordii Hook (Thunder God Vine) has been used since centuries ago as part of multiple Chinese traditional herbal remedies, mainly to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, showed to be effective on the treatment of multiple cancer types.  Image: 雷公藤 by 天問 小窩 under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

TRIPTERIGIUM WILFORDII HOOK

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Tripterygium
Common name: Thunder God Vine, 雷公藤, raikōtō, lei gong teng.

Not so long ago we published an article about Broccoli and how one of the active constituents found in Broccoli, namely diindolylmethane (DIM), exerted anti-cancer properties that were, to say the least, quite promising. DIM is a compound that is produced naturally during the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, a molecule found in Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables of its family, the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae.

But this is not the only one, cruciferous vegetables as broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts contain other important active constituents, as for example sulforaphane, an active constituent with powerful anti-cancer properties, phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and the already mentioned active metabolite of I3C (diindolylmethane DIM), all of them dietary components with cancer chemo-preventive activity [7,9]. This last one, diindolylmethane (DIM), has been recently subject of another study aimed on finding ways to combat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Image: Brussels sprouts, ready to roast by Isaas Wedin under CC license (CC by 2.0).

BRASSICA OLERACEA

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Common name: Broccoli

Curcuma longa, a bitter taste tropical plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family cultivated extensively in Asia, India, China and many other countries [1], has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat multiple symptoms and as a natural remedy for many other ailments and affections. Curcuma longa resembles a lot other Zingiberaceae family plants as Zingiber officinale (Ginger), and as this one has many known properties and health benefits. The powder obtained from the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric), known as curry, is used in many traditional Indian dishes and is part of the Indian diet since centuries ago.

Almost everyone is familiar with the yellow color of curry, but not everyone knows that this color is the effect of a polyphenol found in Curcuma longa rhizome, a polyphenol known as Curcumin.

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), one of the most active chemical constituents found in Turmeric or Curcuma longa, is a pungent, bitter and astringent Turmeric constituent that has been traditionally used in herbal preparations and as a dye and flavoring agent, a polyphenol compound from the group of curcuminoids. Now scientists from Ludwig-Maximilans University in Munich (LMU) led by PD Dr. Beatrice Bachmeier, have discovered that Curcumin suppresses metastases of certain cancers. Image: Turmeric root by Shu Tu under Creative Commons license (CC BY 2.0).

CURCUMA LONGA

Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Common name: Turmeric, Curcuma longa, Curcuma domestica Valeton.