What they are and Where they are found

Red wines contain a large array of polyphenolic constituents that have been shown to block carcinogenesis and to inhibit the growth of tumors in whole animals, or in cell culture by altering the activity of certain enzymes or the epxression of specific genes.

Research in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory of Leonard Guarente has shown that increasing the activity of a single gene, called SIR2, can extend the life span of yeast and that without the gene, calorie restriction does not prolong life. The Sir2 enzyme belongs to a large family of evolutionarily conserved molecules termed sirtuins. In lower organisms, such as yeast and worms, these enzymes regulate a wide range of cellular activities that affect lifespan, including modulating how tightly DNA is packaged inside cells. In mammalian cells, sirtuins act as regulators of programmed cell death and differentiation. 

Certain molecules also activate SIR2 in yeast, as well an an analogous gene, SIRT1, in human cells. These compounds include the following:

• quercetin a polyphenol found in apples and tea
• piceatannol a polyphenol
• resveratrol is a phytoalexin, one of a group of compounds that are produced in plants during times of environmental stress or pathogenic attack. Resveratol has been found in at least 72 plant species, a number of which are components of the human diet, including  mulberries, peanuts, and grapes. Resveratrol found in grapes and red wine has been shown to increase SIRT1 activity 13-fold (24 August, Nature). Many studies report that resveratrol exerts its anti-cancer effects by causing cell cycle arrest and inducing apoptosis in many different human cancers. In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma, resveratrol not only induced apoptosis but also potentiated the effects of paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Resveratrol was also shown to sensitize tumor cells, but not normal human fibroblasts, to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. In 2003, David sinclar of Harvard medical School in Boston and his colleagues reported that yeast dosed with resveratrol lived 60% longer than yeast that did not receive the compound. 

 are a type of polyphenol found in natural substances like .

Capsaicin: is a major phenolic compound from chili peper. It has been shown to induce cell apoptosis in vitro.

Curcumin (1.7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is a phenolic natural product isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric). Curcumin, the active component of tumeric, has been shwon to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity. Studies report that curcumin stronlgy inhibits the initiation and promotion of chemical carcinogen-induced tumor formation in mice and the proliferation of various cultured tumor cells. Thes activities may be attributed to the inhibition of certain signal transduction pathways critical to tumor cell growth, such as AP0-1, NF-kB and protein kinase c.

Hypericin from St. John’s Wort is best known in the treatment of depression. It is also known to induce apoptosis in different enoplastic cell lines. There are also some reports of anti-inflammatory potential  such as inhibition of phorbol ester-induced NF-kB activation.

Giner has been used in China for over 2500 years for colds, nasea and headaches. Ginger and its constituents have been shown to inhibit tumor promotion in mouse skin.

Gingko biloba is known to be enriched with falvonoids and has demonstrated benefits for Alzheimer’s disease. These findings are supported by in vitro studies, where the catechin EGCG or the Ginkgo biloba extract were shown to prevent amylooid B peptide (Ab)-induced neurotoxicity in cultured hippocampal neurons.