3.2 Anticarcinogenesis
Flavonoids have been considered as high impact on the cancer prevention
and some selected isoflavones have tendency to inhibit cancer in a
number of animal models. Some studies revealed that the flavonoids
inhibit carcinogenesis in vitro and significant results also
indicates that they also do it in vivo [47,48]. Flavonoids
are the dominant class of phenolic compounds in mulberry leaves.
The mulberry leaves shows effective cytotoxic behavior against the
cancer cells and the mechanism is shown in figure 10. Many anticancer
compounds found in mulberry leaves like Kaempferol, Kuwanon S, Morusin,
with strong activity towards cytotoxic cell lines Hela, MCF-7 and Hep3B.
The galactose binded lectin isolated from the mulberry leaves has
cytotoxic activity on the human breast cancer with IC50-8.5 μg and also
on colon cancer cell with IC50-16 μg. [49]. Many phenolic compounds
are present in mulberry leaves which induces anticancer activity in
hepatoma cells by cell cycle captured at G2-M phase and inhibition of
topo-isomerase II activity. The anthocyanins are also a phenolic
compound present in mulberry leaves and has beneficial effects in
decreasing the risk of cancer because of its high chemopreventive
properties [50]. Another flavonoid present in mulberry leaves is
Quercetin which is capable of reducing the progress of human β leukemia
[51].Many other clinical trials revealed the therapeutic potential
of mulberry leaves against cytotoxicity as a cheap and easily available
source for the treatment of cancer and reduces the invasiveness of
cancer cells. The flavonoids and quercetins present also exhibited
selective cytotoxicity against human ovarian cancer and gastric cancer
[52].