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The global incidence of cancer and cancer-related mortality is expected to rise in recent years despite advancements in cancer diagnosis and therapeutics. Increasing evidences of decrypting molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression have commanded the tremendous development of synthetic anticancer drugs. With limitations in the current conventional cancer therapeutic approaches, the non-nutritive dietary phytochemicals have emerged as potent modulators of apoptosis and autophagy associated key signaling pathways in various cancer cells. The dynamic regulation of apoptosis and autophagy by phytochemicals in cancer are identified as promising therapeutic candidates with minimal cytotoxicity and enhanced biological activity. Dietary phytochemicals and their synthetic analogs have exhibited potency in the modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in several cancer cells as individuals or in combination with pre-existing FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved anticancer drugs. In the current generation of medical science, developing precision and personalized medicine and their consumption as food supplements will hold high prevalence in cancer therapeutics. Hence understating the impact of dietary phytochemicals on human health and their molecular mechanism will thrive a new horizon in cancer therapeutics. Hence, this review has emphasized the role of apoptotic/autophagy modulating dietary phytochemicals in cancer therapy, their preclinical and clinical applications and the future direction of enhanced nano-formulation for better clinical efficacy.

In addition to cancer and diabetes, inflammatory and ROS-related diseases represent one of the major health problems worldwide. Currently, several synthetic drugs are used to reduce oxidative stress; nevertheless, these approaches often have side effects. Therefore, to overcome these issues, the search for alternative therapies has gained importance in recent times. Natural bioactive compounds have represented, and they still do, an important source of drugs with high therapeutic efficacy. In the “synthetic” era, terrestrial and aquatic photosynthetic organisms have been shown to be an essential source of natural compounds, some of which might play a leading role in pharmaceutical drug development. Marine organisms constitute nearly half of the worldwide biodiversity. In the marine environment, algae, seaweeds, and seagrasses are the first reported sources of marine natural products for discovering novel pharmacophores. The algal bioactive compounds are a potential source of novel antioxidant and anticancer (through modulation of the cell cycle, metastasis, and apoptosis) compounds. Secondary metabolites in marine Algae, such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins, could have great therapeutic implications against several diseases. In this context, this review focuses on the diversity of functional compounds extracted from algae and their potential beneficial effects in fighting cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory diseases.

Background Epidemiological studies has revealed that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables could lower the risk of certain cancers. In this setting, natural polyphenols are potent anticancer bioactive compounds to overcome the non-target specificity, undesirable cytotoxicity and high cost of treatment cancer chemotherapy. Purpose The review focuses on diverse classifications of the chemical diversity of dietary polyphenol and their molecular targets, modes of action, as well as preclinical and clinical applications in cancer prevention. Results The dietary polyphenols exhibit chemo-preventive activity through modulation of apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle progression, inflammation, invasion and metastasis. Polyphenols possess strong antioxidant activity and control multiple molecular events through activation of tumor suppressor genes and inhibition of oncogenes involved in carcinogenesis. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have evidenced that these dietary phytochemicals regulate critical molecular targets and pathways to limit cancer initiation and progression. Moreover, natural polyphenols act synergistically with existing clinically approved drugs. The improved anticancer activity of combinations of polyphenols and anticancer drugs represents a promising perspective for clinical applications against many human cancers. Conclusion The anticancer properties exhibited by dietary polyphenols are mainly attributed to their anti-metastatic, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, cell cycle arrest, apoptotic and autophagic effects. Hence, regular consumption of dietary polyphenols as food or food additives or adjuvants can be a promising tactic to preclude adjournment or cancer therapy.

Highlights • Chemically diverse dietary phytochemicals exhibit anticancer activity owing to their antioxidant potential. • Dietary phytochemicals act as blocking and suppressing agents for exposition of chemoprevention. • Potent apoptosis and autophagy modulation is chief contributor for exhibition of anticancer efficacy., Despite the advancement in prognosis, diagnosis and treatment, cancer has emerged as the second leading cause of disease-associated death across the globe. With the remarkable application of synthetic drugs in cancer therapy and the onset of therapy-associated adverse effects, dietary phytochemicals have been materialized as potent anti-cancer drugs owing to their antioxidant, apoptosis and autophagy modulating activities. With dynamic regulation of apoptosis and autophagy in association with cell cycle regulation, inhibition in cellular proliferation, invasion and migration, dietary phytochemicals have emerged as potent anti-cancer pharmacophores. Dietary phytochemicals or their synthetic analogous as individual drug candidates or in combination with FDA approved chemotherapeutic drugs have exhibited potent anti-cancer efficacy. With the advancement in cancer therapeutics, dietary phytochemicals hold high prevalence for their use as precision and personalized medicine to replace conventional chemotherapeutic drugs. Hence, keeping these perspectives in mind, this review focuses on the diversity of dietary phytochemicals and their molecular mechanism of action in several cancer subtypes and tumor entities. Understanding the possible molecular key players involved, the use of dietary phytochemicals will thrive a new horizon in cancer therapy.