Abstract

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 promotingirregular cell growth. Aromatase is an enzyme which convertsandrogen 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 somecancers especially breast cancer. Soybeans contains several anticarcinogenssuch as phenolic acids, flavonoids and isoflavonoids that helps in exhibiting theircancer preventive function. Soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein and glycitein) haveanticancer activity by different mechanism including anti-estrogenic and anti-aromataseactivity. Antiestrogenic activity is mainly due to its structural similarity with our ownestrogen. In vitro studies have shown that genistein exerts biphasic effects on cancer cellgrowth, at low concentration these stimulate the cell growth and at high concentration thesesignificantly inhibit the cell growth. The anticancer activity of isoflavones may result via anumber of mechanisms including inhibition of protein tyrosine kinases, DNA topoisomerasesinvolved in signal transduction, inhibition of aromatase that generates estrogen, blocking ofthe cell cycle at G2 phase in normal mammary cells and by affecting communicationpathways between cells, prevent the formation of blood vessels to tumors or alter processesinvolved in the processing of DNA for cell multiplication In this review we summarizecurrent studies related to the preventive effect of isoflavones on breast cancer.

Keywords: Phytoestrogens, Isoflavones, Anti carcinogens.