Chemopreventive Effect of Dietary Anthocyanins against Gastrointestinal Cancers:

A Review of Recent Advances and Perspectives

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is responsible for

one in six deaths worldwide, causing about 30% of all premature deaths in adults aged

30–69 years. The term “cancer” is described as a sequence of complex processes

involving the accumulation of altered genetic material in cells, unlimited cell

proliferation, and the formation of malignant tumors, cells from which can then migrate

to and invade distant sites of the body. In addition, GI cancers remain the most common

reason for cancer-related deaths worldwide. With that, Dharmawansa, Hoskin, and

Rupasinghe (2020) studied the effect of anthocyanins as a chemopreventive for

gastrointestinal cancer. The researchers aimed to summarize the hereditary and non-

hereditary characteristics of GI cancers, chemistry, and bioavailability of anthocyanins,

and the most recent findings of anthocyanin in GI cancer prevention through modulating

cellular signaling pathways.

Anthocyanins are a group of dietary polyphenols, abundant mainly in fruits and

their products. Dharmawansa et al. stated that anthocyanin dietary therapies are being

examined extensively concerning the prevention of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, among

many other chronic disorders. GI cancer prevention has been studied for the past two

decades using anthocyanin-rich extracts and isolated individual anthocyanins. Most of the

investigated anthocyanin-rich extracts also contain other flavonoids and polyphenols,

ascorbic acid, and sugars. As a result, the chemopreventive characteristics of

anthocyanin-rich extracts are attributed to the respective health-promoting effects of

compound combinations; nevertheless, the synergistic effect of anthocyanins in

phytocomplexes remains to be investigated.

Additional research is also required to identify techniques for increasing

anthocyanin bioavailability. Novel food technologies, such as micro- and nano-

encapsulation of anthocyanins, that could improve anthocyanin transport to specific areas

in the GI tract, need to be investigated further. The development of innovative medicines

for the prevention and treatment of GI cancer will be aided by identifying the most

effective anthocyanin metabolites in terms of chemoprevention. The concentration of

antiproliferative anthocyanins in cell cultures ranges from 25 to 200 M, but anthocyanins'

poor systemic absorption significantly decreases their chemopreventive capacities in

vivo.Given that mixtures of diverse anthocyanins may be more efficient in managing GI

cancers than single compounds, identifying optimal synergistic combinations of

anthocyanins, as well as their formulation with other bioactives in GI cancer prevention,

is a reasonable approach. However, because their understanding of anthocyanins' role in

GI cancer prevention is inadequate, more research is needed to confirm laboratory

findings using well-designed human dietary intervention studies. In conclusion, GI

cancer-preventive attributes of anthocyanins are primarily due to their antioxidative, anti-

inflammatory, and anti-proliferative properties, and their ability to regulate gene

expression and metabolic pathways, and ability to induce the apoptosis of cancer cells.

Reference:

Dharmawansa, K. S., Hoskin, D. W., & Rupasinghe, H. P. V. (2020). Chemopreventive

Effect of Dietary Anthocyanins against Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Review of Recent
Advances and Perspectives. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(18), 6555.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21186555