The Anticancer Perspective of Tangeretin: A Small Review.

Cancer is an important disease that threatens human life and health. Many natural compounds from plants have been found to have a better inhibitory effect on cancer, and flavonoids are one of them. Tangeretin, a flavonoid, is widely present in a variety of citrus plants and has been shown to have a variety of biological activities that can inhibit tumor cells. Tangeretin can inhibit the growth, proliferation, and metastasis of cancer cells by acting on JAK/STAT (Janus Kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription) and caspase-3 signal transduction and by regulating the cell cycle of tumor cells. Tangeretin can also work with other chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, to reduce the drug resistance of cancer cells and improve the therapeutic effect of chemotherapy drugs. This review summarizes the effects of tangeretin on various cancers.