Fig. 5
Mechanisms of action frequently exerted by flavonoids in luminal and triple-negative breast cancer. Flavonoids produce numerous biological effects on breast tumor cells, modulating different signaling pathways. Certain flavonoids affect proliferation via cell cycle arrest, trigger apoptosis pathways, generate reactive oxygen species and induce autophagy modulating PI3Kγ signaling, which finally causes a reduction in tumor volume. Also, flavonoids can induce down-regulation of mesenchymal markers (and up-regulation of epithelial markers) via epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related transcription factors and the β-catenin pathway. In addition, tumor cell migration, invasion and angiogenic processes are inhibited through the modulation of metalloproteases, cytoskeletal regulation, vascular endothelial growth factor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling. Some biological processes are inhibited (
) whereas others are induced (
) by flavonoids. Signaling pathways involved are highlighted in violet, transcription factors are highlighted in green, and potential targets of certain flavonoids in sky blue. Some flavonoids might act as phytoestrogens and even might show biphasic effects on estrogen receptor α and β. EC: endothelial cell. This figure was reprinted from ref [81], copyright, 2022, Elsevier Masson SAS