Ajay Bommareddy

Melanoma, particularly the malignant type owing to its aggressive metastatic potential, is one of the most severe cancers. When detected early, the cure rate of melanoma is very promising and has a higher 5-year survival rate. However, it becomes very difficult to treat when it has spread to deeper layers of the skin and to other parts of the body. Despite the reduced mortality, the incidence of melanoma is on the rise due to exposure to various environmental factors, particularly UV radiation without protection. Naturally occurring dietary agents have been studied for their antitumor and chemopreventive potential against the development of various cancers including melanoma. The current review is aimed at compiling developments in the past ten years surrounding their preclinical and clinical relevance in the treatment and prevention of malignant melanoma. Various cellular pathways modulated by these phytochemicals are also examined to provide a comprehensive overview of their mechanisms involved in reducing tumor burden. Specifically, the review focuses on the most consumed foods across the world that are rich in such phytochemicals including curcumin, sulforaphane, resveratrol, quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and their potential against the development of melanoma.

Background/Aim: α-Santalol, a major component of sandalwood oil, has been shown to have chemopreventive and antitumor effects in different pre-clinical cancer models. The present study was undertaken to determine the in vitro efficacy of α-santalol on SK-MEL2 human melanoma cells and an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT). Materials and Methods: In this study, we employed 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, Trypan blue, wound-healing, and annexin V apoptosis assays, as well as confocal microscopy for imaging F-actin rhodamine phalloidin/4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-stained cells to investigate the cytotoxicity, cell viability, migratory potential and apoptotic cell death, respectively, of cells treated with different concentrations of α-santalol or dimethyl sulfoxide for different time periods. Results: Results showed that α-santalol treatment significantly reduced SK-MEL2 cell viability and wound-healing ability, while only affecting HaCaT cells at higher concentrations. α-Santalol treatment also disrupted cytoskeletal structure and F-actin in SK-MEL2 cells, whereas HaCaT cells were more resistant to this effect. Conclusion: The selective growth-inhibitory and anti-migratory effects of α-santalol on human melanoma cells warrants future studies to systemically explore the mechanistic details involved.

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in the United States. Despite a decrease in mortality associated with breast cancer, there has been a steady increase in its incidence. Development of the mammary gland is normally regulated by such pathways including Wnt, Hedgehog, estrogen and Notch signaling. However, the deregulation of these pathways gives rise to tumor development, and upregulated Wnt activity along with high levels of beta-catenin is correlated with poor prognosis of breast cancer. In addition, beta-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling is enriched in triple-negative breast cancers and is associated with reduced overall survival in breast cancer patients. Various studies have investigated the ability of naturally occurring plant-based agents to reduce incidence and morbidity of breast cancer by regulating critical cell survival pathways to reverse or inhibit the occurrence of clinical disease. The present review focuses on summarizing the role of commonly consumed dietary phytochemicals and their role in regulating Wnt/β-catenin pathway against the development of breast cancer.

Breast cancer continues to be one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers around the world. Despite the decrease in mortality, there has been a steady increase in its incidence. There is much evidence that naturally occurring phytochemicals could prove to be safer alternatives aimed at prevention and development of breast cancer. In the present review, we discuss important phytochemicals, namely capsaicin, alpha-santalol and diallyl trisulphide that are shown to have chemopreventive and anti-tumour properties against breast cancer development. We examined current knowledge of their bioavailability, safety and modulation of molecular mechanisms including their ability to induce apoptotic cell death, promote cell cycle arrest, and inhibit cellular proliferation in different breast cancer cell lines and in vivo models. This review emphasises the importance of these naturally occurring phytochemicals and their potential of becoming therapeutic options in the arsenal against breast cancer development provided further scientific and clinical validation.