Potential phytochemicals and dietary components for the prevention and treatment of skin cancer: A review

Abstract

Cancer is a global health issue that takes the lives of at least one in every six people worldwide; it can originate in almost any tissue of the body, including skin. Skin, the largest human organ, protects us from all the harmful and toxic components of environment. Its exposure to the environmental stress events e.g. harmful chemicals, ultraviolet ray, and viruses can cause skin cancer, including both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin carcinoma. For skin cancer, currently there are a variety of conventional treatment options available, all of which have drawbacks such as toxicity, multidrug resistance, and high expenditure. On the other hand, the use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) with the intervention of phytochemicals and natural products has showed less toxic effect in the treatment. This seems a more cost-efficient, effective, and safer method for preventing and treating cancer. Using these bioactive compounds in in vitro and in vivo testing for the treatment and prevention of malignant cell lines have shown their role in regulating tumor promoting proteins, carcinogenic factors, and signal pathways involved in cancer progression. These can help in promoting cell apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis, sensitizing cancerous cells, and boosting the immune system. This review provides an overview of the potential phytochemicals (including flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, sulforaphane, and resveratrol) in cancer therapies, discussing their bioavailability, natural sources, molecular mechanisms of action, and therapeutic potentials.