Shukla Yogeshwer, Kalra Neetu
Environmental Carcinogenesis Division, Industrial Toxicology Research Centre, P.O. Box 80, M.G. Marg, Lucknow 226001, India.
Cancer Lett. 2007 Mar 18;247(2):167-81. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2006.05.009. Epub 2006 Jun 21.
Advance metastasized cancers are generally incurable; hence an effort to prolong the process of carcinogenesis through chemoprevention has emerged consistent with this notion. In recent years, a considerable attention has been placed to identify naturally occurring chemopreventive substances capable of inhibiting, retarding or reversing the process of carcinogenesis. A number of phenolic substances, particularly those present in dietary and medicinal plants, have been shown to possess substantial anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic activities. Epidemiological observations and laboratory studies, both in cell culture and animal models have indicated anticarcinogenic potential of garlic and its constituents, which has been traditionally used for varied human ailments around the world. Chemical analysis has indicated that protective effects of garlic appear to be related to the presence of organosulfur compounds mainly allyl derivatives. Several mechanisms have been presented to explain cancer chemopreventive effects of garlic-derived products. These include modulation in activity of several metabolizing enzymes that activate and detoxify carcinogens and inhibit DNA adduct formation, antioxidative and free radicals scavenging properties and regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis and immune responses. Recent data show that garlic-derived products modulate cell-signaling pathways in a fashion that controls the unwanted proliferation of cells thereby imparting strong cancer chemopreventive as well as cancer therapeutic effects. This review discusses mechanistic basis of cancer chemopreventive effects of garlic-derived products, their implication in cancer management and ways and means to take these agents from bench to real life situations.
晚期转移性癌症通常无法治愈；因此，与这一观念相一致的是，人们努力通过化学预防来延长致癌过程。近年来，人们相当关注鉴定能够抑制、延缓或逆转致癌过程的天然化学预防物质。许多酚类物质，特别是那些存在于食用植物和药用植物中的酚类物质，已被证明具有显著的抗癌和抗诱变活性。流行病学观察以及细胞培养和动物模型中的实验室研究均表明，大蒜及其成分具有抗癌潜力，大蒜在世界各地传统上被用于治疗各种人类疾病。化学分析表明，大蒜的保护作用似乎与有机硫化合物（主要是烯丙基衍生物）的存在有关。人们提出了几种机制来解释大蒜衍生产品的癌症化学预防作用。这些机制包括调节几种代谢酶的活性，这些酶可激活致癌物并使其解毒、抑制DNA加合物的形成、具有抗氧化和清除自由基的特性以及调节细胞增殖、凋亡和免疫反应。最近的数据表明，大蒜衍生产品以控制细胞异常增殖的方式调节细胞信号通路，从而赋予强大的癌症化学预防以及癌症治疗效果。本综述讨论了大蒜衍生产品癌症化学预防作用的机制基础、它们在癌症管理中的意义以及将这些药物从实验室应用到实际生活中的方法和途径。
