| Ingredient
Common Polyphenols and Their Potential Effects in Cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease
Polyphenols are plant-derived compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
cell-signalling, and gene-regulatory effects. Most evidence is preclinical;
human clinical evidence varies considerably by compound.
| Polyphenol |
Common Sources |
Basic Potential Effect Against Cancer |
Basic Potential Effect in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) |
| Curcumin |
Turmeric |
May inhibit NF-κB, STAT3, PI3K/Akt, angiogenesis, invasion, and
inflammatory signalling; may promote apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest.
|
May reduce neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, amyloid-β aggregation,
and tau-related pathology; limited by poor oral bioavailability.
|
| Resveratrol |
Grapes, red wine, peanuts, berries |
May activate apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis,
metastasis, NF-κB, and PI3K/Akt signalling.
|
May activate SIRT1 and AMPK, support mitochondrial function, and reduce
neuroinflammation and amyloid-related toxicity.
|
| Quercetin |
Onions, apples, capers, berries |
May induce apoptosis, inhibit proliferation, reduce oxidative stress,
and modulate PI3K/Akt, MAPK, p53, and NF-κB pathways.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, microglial activation, amyloid toxicity,
and mitochondrial dysfunction.
|
| Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) |
Green tea |
May inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, DNMT activity,
NF-κB, EGFR, and PI3K/Akt signalling; may promote apoptosis.
|
May inhibit amyloid-β aggregation, promote less-toxic amyloid
structures, reduce oxidative stress, and support neuronal survival.
|
| Kaempferol |
Kale, spinach, broccoli, tea, beans |
May promote apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis,
epithelial–mesenchymal transition, PI3K/Akt, and inflammatory pathways.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and
neuronal apoptosis.
|
| Apigenin |
Parsley, celery, chamomile |
May induce apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest and inhibit NF-κB, STAT3,
PI3K/Akt, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
|
May reduce microglial activation, oxidative stress, amyloid toxicity,
and inflammatory cytokine production.
|
| Luteolin |
Celery, parsley, peppers, thyme |
May inhibit proliferation, metastasis, angiogenesis, NF-κB, STAT3,
MAPK, and PI3K/Akt signalling and promote apoptosis.
|
May suppress neuroinflammation, microglial activation, oxidative
damage, amyloid accumulation, and tau phosphorylation.
|
| Fisetin |
Strawberries, apples, persimmons, onions |
May induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, invasion, PI3K/Akt,
mTOR, NF-κB, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition.
|
May support synaptic function, reduce neuroinflammation and oxidative
stress, and act as a senolytic compound in some experimental models.
|
| Myricetin |
Berries, grapes, tea, walnuts |
May inhibit proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and oxidative
stress and promote apoptosis.
|
May inhibit amyloid-β aggregation, reduce oxidative injury, and
modulate inflammatory and neuronal-survival pathways.
|
| Genistein |
Soybeans and soy products |
May inhibit tyrosine kinases, proliferation, angiogenesis, and
hormone-dependent cancer signalling; may induce apoptosis.
|
May reduce oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and support
mitochondrial and estrogen-receptor-mediated neuronal protection.
|
| Daidzein |
Soybeans and legumes |
May modulate estrogen receptors, inhibit proliferation, and promote
apoptosis in some hormone-responsive cancers.
|
May provide estrogen-receptor-mediated neuroprotection and reduce
oxidative and inflammatory damage.
|
| Delphinidin |
Blueberries, blackcurrants, purple grapes |
May inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and inflammatory
signalling and promote apoptosis.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-associated
neuronal injury.
|
| Cyanidin-3-glucoside |
Berries, cherries, purple corn, black rice |
May reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, proliferation, and
metastatic signalling and promote apoptosis.
|
May support memory and synaptic function and reduce oxidative stress,
neuroinflammation, and amyloid-related damage.
|
| Pelargonidin |
Strawberries, raspberries, red radish |
May inhibit inflammatory signalling and proliferation and promote
apoptosis in experimental cancer models.
|
May reduce oxidative stress and neuroinflammation and protect neurons
from amyloid-associated injury.
|
| Proanthocyanidins |
Grape seed, cocoa, cranberries, apples |
May inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and inflammatory
signalling and promote apoptosis.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, amyloid aggregation, neuroinflammation,
and synaptic damage.
|
| Ellagic acid |
Pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts |
May induce apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest and inhibit proliferation,
angiogenesis, inflammation, and DNA damage.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and
neuronal apoptosis.
|
| Urolithin A |
Gut-microbial metabolite of ellagitannins from pomegranate, berries,
and walnuts
|
May inhibit proliferation and inflammation and promote apoptosis;
effects vary by cancer type.
|
May improve mitophagy, mitochondrial quality control, and cellular
stress resistance; potentially relevant to brain ageing.
|
| Gallic acid |
Tea, grapes, berries, sumac, gallnuts |
May promote apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, migration,
angiogenesis, and inflammatory signalling.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and
cholinergic dysfunction.
|
| Caffeic acid |
Coffee, herbs, fruits, vegetables |
May inhibit proliferation, inflammation, invasion, and angiogenesis
and promote apoptosis.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and
neuronal damage.
|
| Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) |
Propolis |
Potent experimental NF-κB inhibitor; may suppress proliferation,
invasion, inflammation, and angiogenesis and promote apoptosis.
|
May suppress neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, microglial
activation, and neuronal apoptosis.
|
| Chlorogenic acid |
Coffee, blueberries, apples, potatoes |
May reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, proliferation, migration,
and angiogenesis.
|
May support glucose metabolism and reduce oxidative stress,
neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and cognitive impairment.
|
| Ferulic acid |
Whole grains, rice bran, oats, seeds |
May reduce oxidative damage and inflammation and inhibit proliferation,
angiogenesis, and metastatic signalling.
|
May inhibit amyloid aggregation, reduce oxidative stress and
neuroinflammation, and protect synaptic and neuronal function.
|
| Rosmarinic acid |
Rosemary, lemon balm, sage, basil, perilla |
May inhibit proliferation, inflammation, migration, and angiogenesis
and promote apoptosis.
|
May reduce amyloid aggregation, oxidative stress, microglial
activation, and inflammatory cytokines.
|
| Chicoric acid / Cichoric acid |
Echinacea, chicory, dandelion, lettuce |
May reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, proliferation, and
metastatic signalling; cancer evidence remains mainly preclinical.
|
May reduce neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, amyloid-related injury,
and cognitive impairment in experimental models.
|
| Oleuropein |
Olive leaves and olives |
May inhibit proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and inflammatory
signalling and induce apoptosis.
|
May inhibit amyloid aggregation, improve autophagy, and reduce
oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.
|
| Hydroxytyrosol |
Olives and extra-virgin olive oil |
May reduce oxidative DNA damage, inflammation, proliferation, and
metastatic signalling.
|
May protect mitochondria and neurons and reduce oxidative stress,
neuroinflammation, amyloid toxicity, and tau-related damage.
|
| Tyrosol |
Olives, olive oil, wine |
May provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, although direct
anticancer activity is generally weaker than hydroxytyrosol.
|
May support neuronal antioxidant defence and reduce inflammatory and
oxidative injury.
|
| Honokiol |
Magnolia bark |
May inhibit STAT3, NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, angiogenesis, stem-like cancer
cells, and metastasis and promote apoptosis.
|
May reduce neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, amyloid toxicity, and
neuronal apoptosis; may support GABAergic signalling.
|
| Magnolol |
Magnolia bark |
May inhibit proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, NF-κB, and
PI3K/Akt signalling and induce apoptosis.
|
May reduce oxidative stress, microglial activation, neuroinflammation,
and amyloid-associated toxicity.
|
| Pterostilbene |
Blueberries and grapes |
Resveratrol-related compound with greater lipophilicity; may inhibit
proliferation, metastasis, inflammation, and PI3K/Akt signalling.
|
May activate SIRT1 and antioxidant pathways and reduce
neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and amyloid-related injury.
|
Frequently Modulated Cancer Targets and Pathways
NF-κB, STAT3, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, p53, BCL-2, BAX,
caspases, VEGF, HIF-1α, MMP-2, MMP-9, Nrf2/HO-1, cyclins, CDKs, AMPK,
SIRT1, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathways.
Frequently Modulated Alzheimer’s Disease Targets and Pathways
Amyloid-β production and aggregation, BACE1, APP processing, tau
phosphorylation, GSK-3β, acetylcholinesterase, microglial activation,
NF-κB, NLRP3 inflammasome, Nrf2/HO-1, SIRT1, AMPK, mitochondrial function,
mitophagy, synaptic plasticity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines.
Evidence note: These effects describe commonly reported
mechanisms from cell, animal, and limited human studies. They do not establish
that the compounds prevent or treat cancer or Alzheimer’s disease in humans.
Bioavailability, metabolism, dose, cancer type, disease stage, and interactions
with medications can substantially alter their effects.
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