ABSTRACT
Resveratrol occurs naturally in the plant kingdom. Trans-3,4',5-trihydroxystilbene (RES) has been found in dietary plants such as grapes, peanuts, mulberries, and various herbs. The biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention by RES might occur through blocking or perturbing cell cycle progression and inducing cellular apoptosis in the programmed and sensitized cancer cells. RES is a trihydroxystilbene phytopolyphenolic compound. Stilbene-based compounds are widely distributed in nature and have become of particular interest for chemists and biologists because of their wide range of biological activities. RES has been suggested as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent based on its striking inhibitory effects on diverse cellular events associated with tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. Piceatannol is a cancer-preventive agent that is found in red wine. Piceatannol differs from RES by having an additional aromatic hydroxyl group. Vaticanol C as a major component a considerable cytotoxicity in all cancer cell lines tested and exhibited growth suppression in colon cancer cell lines at low dose.
