Cancer metabolism regulation by phytonutrients

In spite of the advanced researches, preventive measures, and treatment options, cancer remains a growing ailment all over the world and its prevalence is estimated to increase in future. Cellular metabolic alterations have been documented as a hallmark of cancer. Metabolic regulation is an intricately coupled process whose deregulation leads to tumor progression as well as metastasis. In order to thrive in the living system, cancer cells adapt different metabolic pathways (bioenergetics and biosynthesis). They replenish their metabolic demands by switching from normal metabolism to cancer metabolism by the process of metabolic rewiring. Recent researches suggest that starving cancer cells by the use of nontoxic chemical entities can give promising results regarding cancer proliferation. Natural products, especially those of plant origin, offer different chemical scaffolds to target cancer via modulation of multiple cell signaling cascades. Phytonutrients, the secondary metabolites from the plants, constitute edible phytochemicals which are abundantly found in vegetables, whole grains, and fruits. The growing numbers of evidences suggest that phytonutrients exhibit anticancer as well as chemopreventive activities of these bioactive molecules against several cancers by targeting the various significant enzymes of glycolysis, the PPP pathway, TCA cycle, and serine metabolism. This book chapter presents an update for the scientific community about targeting the cancer metabolism by phytonutrients. The alterations in the cancer metabolism in the context of bioenergetics, biosynthesis, and mitochondrial functions have been discussed while presenting the impact of phytonutrients as modulators of potential metabolic effectors in the cancer metabolism.