The Anticarcinogenic Effects of Four Common Dietary Compounds

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Beulig, Alfred

Keywords

Cancer, Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, Nutrition, Genistein, Lycopene, EGCG

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

The importance of the diet has recently become a major focus of attention for many in both the media and scientific fields. Fad diets have become increasingly visible as obesity in America reaches epidemic proportions. The official Food Guide Pyramid, released by the US Department of Agriculture in 1992, is currently undergoing a facelift, and many consumers are unsure what to believe in the face of conflicting reports about proper do's and don'ts of healthy eating. Epidemiological and laboratory studies have lent increasing support to the belief that the effects of the diet are dramatic and far-reaching, and furthermore, that the diet could affect several potentially dangerous human conditions, including America's two major killers, heart disease and cancer. A review and discussion of scientific literature becomes increasingly relevant as pharmaceutical and vitamin companies move to exploit the highly lucrative market that has opened in making potentially therapeutic compounds readily obtained in the form of commercially available dietary supplements. This paper presents a review of research done of four compounds suggested to play a role in the prevention of many cancers. The compounds discussed are genistein from soy, Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea, resveratrol from red wine, and lycopene from tomatoes While the focus of thissurvey is on the cellular and biochemical chemopreventive properties of these compounds, when appropriate, the chemotherapeutic role is also discussed.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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