Spices with breast cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potentials: A functional foods based-review

Background: Cancer is a multifaceted metabolic disease that affects sizeable dwellers of rural and urban areas. Among the various types of cancer, mammary cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in women. Its menace can be curbed with locally consumed spices due to their multiple bioactive phytochemicals. Aims: This review focuses on the breast cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potentials of locally consumed spices. Methods/Results: The most commonly consumed spices with breast cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic phytochemical include pepper, onions, ginger, garlic, curry and thyme containing many biologically active metabolites ranging from vitamins, fatty acids esters, polyphenols/phenolics, sulfurcontaining compounds and anthraquinones with proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulatory, antitumor and anticancer properties against breast cancer/carcinogenesis. Therefore, extracts and active principles of these spices could be explored in breast cancer chemoprevention and possibly therapeutically which may provide an avenue for reducing the risk and prevalence of breast cancer.