Flavanols in tumor prevention and treatment:a review

Liu Zhihan; Wu Dajun; Zhu Huilian; Liu Zhaoyan

doi:10.16689/j.cnki.cn11-9349/r.2026.01.022

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Electronic Journal of Metabolism and Nutrition of Cancer ›› 2026, Vol. 13 ›› Issue (1) : 164-172. DOI: 10.16689/j.cnki.cn11-9349/r.2026.01.022

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Flavanols in tumor prevention and treatment:a review

Liu Zhihan, Wu Dajun, Zhu Huilian, Liu Zhaoyan

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Abstract

Tumors have become one of the major public health challenges threatening human health worldwide. Flavanols, as a class of polyphenolic compounds widely found in daily diets such as tea, cocoa, and fruits, have attracted attention for their potential antitumor activities. Cellular and animal studies further reveal that flavanols exert multi-target and multi-pathway antitumor molecular mechanisms, including inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle, suppressing tumor invasion and metastasis, and modulating oxidative stress and immune responses. Numerous epidemiological studies indicate an association between dietary flavanol intake and a reduced risk of various cancers. Their specific structure-activity relationships, especially the degree of polymerisation and gallic acid esterification, have a critical impact on their anti-tumor activities. However, the application of flavanols is still facing great challenges due to their low solubility, poor chemical stability and very low oral bioavailability. To overcome these bottlenecks, novel strategies such as nanodelivery systems have shown great potential in enhancing the bioefficacy of flavanols by improving drug solubility, increasing stability, enhancing intestinal absorption, and achieving tumor targeting. In this paper, we systematically review the research progress of flavanols in the field of tumor prevention and treatment, with a focus on elucidating their multi-mechanistic antitumor effects. And we look forward to the prospects of novel delivery strategies such as nanotechnology in enhancing their bioefficacy and clinical translational potentials, to provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for the further application of flavanols.

Key words

Flavanols / Polyphenol / Flavonoids / Tumor / Structure-activity relationships / Bioavailability / Nanotechnology / Molecular mechanisms

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Liu Zhihan, Wu Dajun, Zhu Huilian, Liu Zhaoyan. Flavanols in tumor prevention and treatment:a review[J]. Electronic Journal of Metabolism and Nutrition of Cancer. 2026, 13(1): 164-172 https://doi.org/10.16689/j.cnki.cn11-9349/r.2026.01.022

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