eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 2347-467X 2322-0007 2026-04-10 14 1 01 15 10.12944/CRNFSJ.14.1.1 25657 article Deepankar Rath 1 Biswakanth Kar 2 Gurudutta Pattnaik 1 Pallishree Bhukta 1 Rupali Rupasmita Rout 3 Department of Pharmacology, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India Department of Pharmacology, Siksha O Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar, India Gokaraju Rangaraju College of Pharmacy, Nizampet Road, Kukatpally, Bachupally, Hyderabad, India Cancer remains a major global health burden, with rising incidence and mortality rates largely attributed to the limitations of current therapies in effectively targeting cancer cell proliferation, genetic mutations, and drug resistance. The successful clinical use of phytochemical-based anticancer agents such as paclitaxel, vincristine, camptothecin, etoposide, and teniposide has highlighted the therapeutic value of phytochemicals in cancer therapy. Among all classes, flavonoids or phyto-flavonoids such as apigenin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin have gained considerable attention as complementary and alternative agents for cancer prevention and treatment due to their multimodal activity and non-toxic profiles. Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that phyto-flavonoids can modulate key hallmarks of cancer, such as apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis, and cell cycle progression, and their anticancer effects are mediated through the regulation of crucial molecular signalling pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, and p53, with minimal toxicity to normal cells compared to conventional chemotherapeutics. Despite encouraging preclinical evidence, the clinical translation of phyto-flavonoids remains limited due to challenges related to pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, standardization, and regulatory approval. Nonetheless, recent advances in nanotechnology and drug delivery systems are improving their therapeutic efficacy and mitigating their drug-ability limitations. A more profound understanding of their molecular mechanisms and pharmacological profiles could pave the way for developing novel, safe, and effective anticancer agents from natural sources. Overall, this review uniquely integrates recent molecular, pharmacological, and nanotechnology platform uses enhance clinical and translational success as anticancer therapeutics, thereby providing invaluable suggestions or expert opinions for future drug development and precision oncology research. https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume14number1/phyto-flavonoids-in-cancer-therapy-emerging-insights-and-future-perspectives/ Anticancer Agents Cancer Therapy Molecular Targets Pathways Phyto-flavonoids Phytochemical-Based Therapy