The use of natural phytochemicals over other treatment regimens offers a
safe and broad-spectrum strategy to overcome the incidence of cancer. Phytochemicals
play a pivotal role for the induction of apoptosis in cancerous cells by activation of
pro-apoptotic proteins and initiator caspases that in turn cleave and execute the
activation of down-stream effector caspases. The caspases belong to the family of
proteases that exist as inactive pro-forms or zymogens that on cleavage forms an active
enzyme mediating apoptosis. Since cancer cells become insensitive to anti-growth and
apoptotic signals, thus these caspases remain inactive in them. Array of phytochemicals
belonging to different categories viz. phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids,
stilbenes etc. are reported to trigger the activation of caspases in cancer cells by
modulating various cell-death stimulating pathways. In the present review, we
highlighted the role of different phytochemicals that execute the cleavage of caspases
in cancerous cells by activating pro-apoptotic enzymes and proteins involved in the
induction of apoptosis. This will assist to select and identify the molecular mechanisms
of some effective phytochemicals targeting caspases in their chemopreventive ability.
Keywords: Alkaloids, Apoptosis, Bcl-2 Family, Cancer, Caspases,
Chemoprevention, Cytoplasmic Proteins, Cysteinyl Specific Proteases, Effector
Caspases, Epigenetic, Extrinsic Pathway, Flavonoids, Initiator Caspases, Intrinsic
Pathway, Nuclear Proteins, Phenols, Phytoconstituents, Stilbenes, Terpenoids,
Zymogens.
