Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science - An open access, peer reviewed international journal covering all aspects of Nutrition and Food Science

Phytochemicals as Anticancer Agents: Investigating Molecular Pathways from Preclinical Research to Clinical Relevance

Sarah Jane Monica^1*, Deevena Jemima², Esther Lydia Daniel³, Priyadarshini Selvaraju⁴, Mary Anne Preetha³and Emi Grace Mary Gowshika Rajendran²

¹Department of Food Science, M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

²Department of Home Science, Women’s Christian College (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

³PG Food Chemistry and Food Processing, Loyola College (Autonomous), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

⁴Independent Researcher, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Corresponding author email id:sarahjanemonica.fsm@mopvaishnav.ac.in

Cancer remains a significant global health threat, with annual deaths projected to reach 16.2 million by 2040. Phytochemicals in different botanical sources offer promising cancer preventive strategies due to their unique biological activities, affordability, ease of use, and relatively lower toxicity. This review compiles the anticancer activities of phytochemicals in various plant-based food groups as demonstrated in preclinical models and human studies. A literature survey was performed in various research databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify relevant peer-reviewed publications, including original research and review articles published between 2018 and 2025. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phytosterols, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and stilbenes, exert anticancer effects through anti-angiogenesis, metastasis, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and modulating cell signalling pathways like PI3K/Akt/mTOR/P70S6K pathway, MAPK/ERK, NF-κB, and Wnt/β-catenin as documented in in vitro and animal studies. Prospective human studies show that phytochemicals in different food groups, such as whole grains, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, and tea extracts, exhibit anticancer effects. One significant challenge with phytochemical use is their poor bioavailability. Although numerous experimental studies have explored strategies to enhance phytochemical bioavailability, such as nano formulations, co-administration with bioenhancers, and structural modifications, clinical research on the pharmacokinetics, potential nutrient interactions, optimal dosing, and long-term safety of isolated or enriched phytochemicals remains limited.

Anticancer effects; Bioavailability; Cancer prevention; Pharmacokinetics; Phytochemicals

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