Flavonoids – natural compounds with antiviral and anticancer potential

Abstract

Flavonoids are a group of plant secondary metabolites that have a number of health-promoting properties and have both preventive and therapeutic effects. Research confirms that flavonoids work, among others: antiviral and anticancer. Apigenin, luteolin, isorhamnetin, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, hesperetin, naringenin, epicatechin and genistein have documented antiviral activity. The discovery of the anticancer activity of flavonoids (including apigenin, naringenin, hesperetin) initiated a number of studies to identify the most active compounds against various cancers and to understand the mechanism of their action. However, the relationship between flavonoid intake and cancer risk appears to be non-linear. Available literature data suggest that flavonoids may act as therapeutic agents in the early stages of virus infection and as an anticancer agent and should be included in the daily diet by increasing the consumption of primarily fruit (chokeberry, elderberry, cherry, mandarin), vegetables (parsley, celery, onion) and herbs and spices (mint, oregano, lovage, moringa, saffron). Flavonoids present in food are transported by passive diffusion (hydrophobic aglycones) and by active transport (hydrophilic glycosides). Individual classes of flavonoids differ in the amount they appear in food, the metabolites they produce and their possible impact on health. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the potential use of selected flavonoids in the treatment of diseases of various etiologies, with an indication of their anticancer and antiviral effects. The perspectives and possibilities of using these compounds are presented, taking into account the problems resulting from their bioavailability.