Masoumeh Kaveh Zenjanab
1 
, Nastaran Hashemzadeh
2, Sajjad Alimohammadvand
3, Masoumeh Sharifi-Azad
3, Elaheh Dalir Abdolahinia
4* , Rana Jahanban-Esfahlan
1,3* 1 Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
2 Pharmaceutical Analysis Research Center and Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
3 Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
4 Department of Oral Science and Translation Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, US.
Abstract
Cancer is one of the main causes of mortality worldwide. Cancer cells are characterized by unregulated cellular processes, including proliferation, progression, and angiogenesis. The occurrence of these processes is due to the dysregulation of various signaling pathways such as NF-κB (nuclear factor-κB), Wnt/beta-catenin, Notch signaling and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinases). Notch signaling pathways cause the progression of various types of malignant tumors. Among the phytochemicals for cancer therapy, several have attracted great interest, including curcumin, genistein, quercetin, silibinin, resveratrol, cucurbitacin and glycyrrhizin. Given the great cellular and molecular heterogeneity within tumors and the high toxicity and side effects of synthetic chemotherapeutics, natural products with pleiotropic effects that simultaneously target numerous signaling pathways appear to be ideal substitutes for cancer therapy. With this in mind, we take a look at the current status, impact and potential of known compounds as golden phytochemicals on key signaling pathways in tumors, focusing on the Notch pathway. This review may be useful for discovering new molecular targets for safe and efficient cancer therapy with natural chemotherapeutics.