Flavonoids: Immune-Regulation and Health

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2018) | Viewed by 26289

Special Issue Editors

1. Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
2. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Interests: apoptosis; cell death; monocytes; macrophages; inflammation; flavonoids; flavones; foods for health; caspases; immunoregulation; breast cancer
Food Innovation and Health, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK
Interests: developing functional foods with improved nutritional properties for assessment in dietary intervention studies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dietary flavonoids are emerging as promising candidates for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Thus, there is increasing interest in understanding the mechanisms of action of dietary flavonoids with potential health benefits. Flavonoids anti-oxidant activities and function in cellular redox signalling support their accepted role as metabolic regulators. Emerging new roles as immune-regulators present exciting opportunities to control inflammatory diseases. Recent findings revealed unexpected additional mechanisms underlying the health beneficial effects of flavonoids. Flavonoids associate with proteins, altering gene regulatory networks, RNA metabolism and protein signalling. A better understanding of the direct targets of flavonoids, the binding affinities and physiological effects in preclinical models of disease are needed to move the field forward. The development of functional foods and new delivery systems opens new opportunities for the clinical utilization of flavonoids for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases.

This Special Issue welcomes original research papers or reviews that contribute to our understanding on the molecular mechanisms of dietary flavonoids and their role in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Special interests include: Mechanistic insights into the function of flavonoids as anti-oxidants; regulators of signal transduction pathways; flavonoids and the effects on gene regulation; functional foods and plants for health; mechanistic roles of flavonoids in the modulation of the immune system; clinical trials of dietary flavonoids for disease prevention and treatment; and flavonoids and metabolic function.

Prof. Dr. Andrea I. Doseff
Dr. Jennifer Ahn-Jarvis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • Immune-regulation
  • Macrophages
  • Apoptosis
  • Cancer
  • Inflammatory diseases
  • Foods for health
  • Functional foods
  • Protein signaling
  • Gene regulatory networks
  • Metabolic function

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

30 pages, 2141 KiB  
Review
Dietary Flavonoids for Immunoregulation and Cancer: Food Design for Targeting Disease
by Jennifer H. Ahn-Jarvis, Arti Parihar and Andrea I. Doseff
Antioxidants 2019, 8(7), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8070202 - 29 Jun 2019
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 10215
Abstract
Flavonoids, one of the most abundant phytochemicals in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, have been recognized as possessing anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic activities. Numerous cellular and animal-based studies show that flavonoids can function as antioxidants by preventing DNA damage and [...] Read more.
Flavonoids, one of the most abundant phytochemicals in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, have been recognized as possessing anti-proliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and estrogenic activities. Numerous cellular and animal-based studies show that flavonoids can function as antioxidants by preventing DNA damage and scavenging reactive oxygen radicals, inhibiting formation of DNA adducts, enhancing DNA repair, interfering with chemical damage by induction of Phase II enzymes, and modifying signaling pathways. Recent evidence also shows their ability to regulate the immune system. However, findings from clinical trials have been mixed with no clear consensus on dose, frequency, or type of flavonoids best suited to elicit many of the beneficial effects. Delivery of these bioactive compounds to their biological targets through “targeted designed” food processing strategies is critical to reach effective concentration in vivo. Thus, the identification of novel approaches that optimize flavonoid bioavailability is essential for their successful clinical application. In this review, we discuss the relevance of increasing flavonoid bioavailability, by agricultural engineering and “targeted food design” in the context of the immune system and cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flavonoids: Immune-Regulation and Health)
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27 pages, 611 KiB  
Review
Flavonoids: New Frontier for Immuno-Regulation and Breast Cancer Control
by Meenakshi Sudhakaran, Sagar Sardesai and Andrea I. Doseff
Antioxidants 2019, 8(4), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8040103 - 16 Apr 2019
Cited by 69 | Viewed by 6474
Abstract
Breast cancer (BC) remains the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the US, despite advances in detection and treatment. In addition, breast cancer survivors often struggle with long-term treatment related comorbidities. Identifying novel therapies that are effective while minimizing [...] Read more.
Breast cancer (BC) remains the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women in the US, despite advances in detection and treatment. In addition, breast cancer survivors often struggle with long-term treatment related comorbidities. Identifying novel therapies that are effective while minimizing toxicity is critical in curtailing this disease. Flavonoids, a subclass of plant polyphenols, are emerging as promising treatment options for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Recent evidence suggests that in addition to anti-oxidant properties, flavonoids can directly interact with proteins, making them ideal small molecules for the modulation of enzymes, transcription factors and cell surface receptors. Of particular interest is the ability of flavonoids to modulate the tumor associated macrophage function. However, clinical applications of flavonoids in cancer trials are limited. Epidemiological and smaller clinical studies have been largely hypothesis generating. Future research should aim at addressing known challenges with a broader use of preclinical models and investigating enhanced dose-delivery systems that can overcome limited bioavailability of dietary flavonoids. In this review, we discuss the structure-functional impact of flavonoids and their action on breast tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment, with an emphasis on their clinical role in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flavonoids: Immune-Regulation and Health)
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27 pages, 711 KiB  
Review
Flavonoids and Colorectal Cancer Prevention
by Yanyan Li, Tao Zhang and Grace Y. Chen
Antioxidants 2018, 7(12), 187; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox7120187 - 10 Dec 2018
Cited by 50 | Viewed by 9049
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer, but despite advances in treatment, it remains the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Prevention may, therefore, be a key strategy in reducing colorectal cancer deaths. Given reports of an inverse association between [...] Read more.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer, but despite advances in treatment, it remains the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality. Prevention may, therefore, be a key strategy in reducing colorectal cancer deaths. Given reports of an inverse association between fruit and vegetable consumption with colorectal cancer risk, there has been significant interest in understanding the metabolism and bioactivity of flavonoids, which are highly abundant in fruits and vegetables and account for their pigmentation. In this review, we discuss host and microbiota-mediated metabolism of flavonoids and the potential mechanisms by which flavonoids can exert protective effects against colon tumorigenesis, including regulation of signaling pathways involved in apoptosis, cellular proliferation, and inflammation and modulation of the gut microbiome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flavonoids: Immune-Regulation and Health)
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