Cellular and molecular aspects of polyphenol actions on gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Therefore it is necessary to determine an effective therapy for gastric cancer. Natural products are very important sources for the development of novel gastric cancer therapeutics. Plant polyphenols and many flavonoids have several beneficial actions on human gastric cancer. However, the actual molecular interactions of polyphenols with biological systems remain mostly speculative. This chapter deals with the potential cellular and molecular mechanisms of some selected polyphenols and its actions on gastric cancer cells. Those mechanisms include regulation of signal transduction pathways, transcription factors and related activities; modulation of cell-cycle regulation or induction of apoptosis, affecting cell differentiation, proliferation, metastasis, immune response, antioxidant, suppression of angiogenesis and chemical metabolism. A better understanding about the nature and biological consequences of polyphenol interactions with gastric cancer cell components will certainly contribute to develop nutritional and pharmacological strategies oriented to prevent the onset and/or the consequences of gastric cancer.