Ding Heidrun, Tauzin Sébastien, Hoessli Daniel C
Department of Pathology and Immunology, Centre Medical Universitaire, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Pathobiology. 2009;76(2):55-63. doi: 10.1159/000201674. Epub 2009 Apr 9.
It is generally accepted that nutritional behaviors constitute decisive components of human health. Phytochemicals (small, nonenergetic molecules of vegetal origin) are overall inhibitory on the expression of gene products promoting proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. On the contrary, phytochemicals stimulate the synthesis of adaptive proteins that favor resistance to cellular stress (detoxifying and antioxidant enzymes). They are effective modulators that act synergistically on membrane, cytoplasmic and nuclear enzymatic reactions to dampen cellular hyperproliferation and hyperactivity, reequilibrate metabolic activity and promote apoptosis of genetically unstable cells. Despite important gaps in our knowledge regarding how phytochemicals interfere with cellular function in vivo, effective chemopreventive measures have shown that phytochemicals can be utilized to prevent cancer, and possibly to treat cancer patients as well. We review how phytochemicals exert their beneficial effects at the cellular level.
人们普遍认为营养行为是人类健康的决定性组成部分。植物化学物质（源自植物的小分子非能量分子）总体上抑制促进增殖和抗凋亡的基因产物的表达。相反，植物化学物质刺激有利于抵抗细胞应激的适应性蛋白质的合成（解毒和抗氧化酶）。它们是有效的调节剂，协同作用于膜、细胞质和核酶促反应，以抑制细胞过度增殖和过度活跃，重新平衡代谢活动，并促进基因不稳定细胞的凋亡。尽管我们对植物化学物质如何在体内干扰细胞功能的认识存在重大差距，但有效的化学预防措施表明，植物化学物质可用于预防癌症，也可能用于治疗癌症患者。我们综述了植物化学物质如何在细胞水平发挥其有益作用。
