SOYBEAN SEEDS- AN APPROACH TO TREATMENT OF BREAST CANCER
Shikha Saxena*, Jyoti, Archana Sharma
ABSTRACT
Breast cancer is the common cause of death in females worldwide,
estrogen plays important role in breast carcinogenesis by promoting
irregular cell growth. Aromatase is an enzyme which converts
androgen in estrogen also plays important role in breast carcinogenesis.
There are various approaches for the treatment of this disease.
Numerous epidemiological studies suggest that phytoestrogen rich diet,
particularly soy and their products are associated with low risk of some
cancers especially breast cancer. Soybeans contains several anticarcinogens
such as phenolic acids, flavonoids and isoflavonoids that helps in exhibiting their
cancer preventive function. Soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein and glycitein) have
anticancer activity by different mechanism including anti-estrogenic and anti-aromatase
activity. Antiestrogenic activity is mainly due to its structural similarity with our own
estrogen. In vitro studies have shown that genistein exerts biphasic effects on cancer cell
growth, at low concentration these stimulate the cell growth and at high concentration these
significantly inhibit the cell growth. The anticancer activity of isoflavones may result via a
number of mechanisms including inhibition of protein tyrosine kinases, DNA topoisomerases
involved in signal transduction, inhibition of aromatase that generates estrogen, blocking of
the cell cycle at G2 phase in normal mammary cells and by affecting communication
pathways between cells, prevent the formation of blood vessels to tumors or alter processes
involved in the processing of DNA for cell multiplication In this review we summarize
current studies related to the preventive effect of isoflavones on breast cancer.
Keywords: Phytoestrogens, Isoflavones, Anti carcinogens.
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