The importance of diet in determining the incidence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer has inspired extensive research on the role of individual dietary components in chemoprevention. Flavonoids and (poly)phenols have often been identified as the ideal candidates for these types of studies, as they represent large classes of natural products that are widely available in fruit and vegetables. In this chapter, we will discuss the antiproliferative properties of flavonols, flavanols, flavones, isoflavones, anthocyanins, curcuminoids and resveratrol derivatives, with a particular focus on their ability to interfere with epigenetic processes and modulate gene expression. We will look at the challenges encountered during the optimisation of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of these natural products and, where possible, we will define structure-activity relationships.
Keywords: Anthocyanins, Anticancer agents, Apigenin, Curcumin, Chemoprevention, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, Epigenetics, Flavonoids, Flavonols, Flavones, Genistein, Isoflavones, Kaempferol, Polyphenols, Quercetin, Resveratrol.
