The Role of Hesperidin in Cell Signal Transduction Pathway for the Prevention or Treatment of Cancer.

During past two decades, plant-derived bioactive compounds have been reported as novel therapeutic agents for prevention and/or mitigation of different human diseases such as cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Hesperidin is known as one of the most common and bioactive constituents of Citrus (C) species which possesses multiple health-promotion effects. A plethora of scientific literature reported that hesperidin possesses in-vitro and in-vivo anticancer activities. In addition, there are numerous scientific evidences regarding the molecular mechanisms of anticancer activities of hesperidin and its aglycone, hesperetin. However, in this case, the number of comprehensive reviews on molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of hesperidin is sparse. Therefore, in this work we present a critical review of the available literature regarding the molecular mechanisms of the anticancer effects of hesperidin and its aglycone, hesperetin.

Hesperidin, a citrus bioflavonoid, ameliorates genotoxicity-induced by diazinon in human blood lymphocytes.

Hesperidin (Hes), a natural bioflavonoid, is abundant in citrus fruit and has been reported to exert a wide range of pharmacological effects. Diazinon (DZN) can be mutagenic, or capable of inducing genetic damage, in human blood cells. The protective effect of Hes against DZN-induced micronucleus formation, an index of DNA damage, was investigated in human blood lymphocytes. Whole blood samples were collected from 5 volunteers and were incubated with different Hes concentrations for 3 h. The samples were then incubated with 750 µM DZN for 24 h. Subsequently, the blood samples were cultured with a mitogenic stimulant to evaluate micronucleus formation in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated lymphocytes. The incubation of blood samples with DZN induced additional genotoxicity in lymphocytes, and Hes pretreatment significantly reduced the micronucleus frequency (p<0.01-p<0.001). Hes revealed a potent antigenotoxic effect against DZN-induced DNA damage, which may be due to free radical scavenging property. Since hesperidin is a natural compound and is considered safe, it can be used as a supplement to protect people exposed to chemical or environmental hazards.

Potential chemoprotective effects of selenium on diazinon-induced DNA damage in rat peripheral blood lymphocyte.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of selenium (Se) against genotoxicity induced by diazinon (DZN) in rat peripheral blood lymphocytes by micronucleus (MN) test. Animals were concurrently administered intraperitoneally with DZN in proper solvent (20 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) and Se at three different doses (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg b.w.) for 30 consecutive days. The positive control group received DZN at the same dose without Se. After 24 h of last injection, 0.5 ml blood of each rat was received and cultured in culture medium for 44 h. The lymphocyte cultures were mitogenically stimulated with cytochalasin B to allow the evaluation of number of MNs in cytokinesis-blocked binucleated cells. Incubation of lymphocytes with DZN induced additional genotoxicity and is shown by increase in MNs frequency in human lymphocytes. Se at low dose of 0.5 mg/kg had a maximum effect and significantly reduced the MNs frequency in cultured lymphocytes (p < 0.0001) that reduced the frequency of MN from 12.78 ± 0.24% for DZN group to 4.40 ± 0.36. The present study revealed that Se particularly at low doses has a potent antigenotoxic effect against DZN -induced toxicity in rats, which may be due to the scavenging of free radicals and increased antioxidant status.