Abstract
Background:
Ellagic acid (EA) is a polyphenol compound abundant in berries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranate, cranberries, and other plant foods and exerts a wide array of biological properties. In particular, EA has received considerable research attention in anti-cancer therapy. EA administered alone has been shown to exert effects against human cancers through multiple pathways. In addition, EA may increase tumor sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Namely, EA combination with a relatively low dosage of therapeutic drugs or optimized radiation dose could improve the treatment outcome. More importantly, EA could counteract chemotherapy-related adverse reactions.
Purpose:
This review aims to summarize the in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence of synergism of EA in radiotherapy/chemotherapy for the treatment of cancers. In addition, the preventive effect of EA to counteract chemotherapy-induced toxicity is also discussed.
Methods:
The searches were performed in the PubMed, Web of Science and Google scholar and introduced the information about the role of EA in cancer treatment.
Results:
EA exhibits synergistic effects in radiotherapy/chemotherapy for the treatment of cancers and exerts a great potential in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to its biological activities, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
Conclusion:
EA could be a promising drug adjuvant for cancer treatment. In the near future, novel strategies for EA delivery systems that overcome the low EA solubility and bioavailability should be studied further to fully exploit the therapeutic potential of EA.
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