Bioactive compounds isolated from plants have gained a lot of attention in recent years. Among them flavonoids, which consist of a large group of polyphenolic compounds, are at the forefront in the treatment of various diseases including cancer. Flavonoids possess anti-cancer properties and they exert their curative effect by modulating different cell-signalling pathways like the Nf-kB pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the JAK/STAT pathway. Flavonoids also possess anti-oxidant activity and they regulate the redox status and prevent damage caused by oxidative stress. Chemokines and cytokines play a key role in mediating the inflammatory response in a cell. Consequently, more inflammatory markers are recruited to the site of inflammation that leads to increased ROS and cause damage at the site of accumulation. The present review covers the recent studies, in vitro and in vivo, that highlight the promising potential of flavonoids in treating cancer.
