Resveratrol Antioxidants and Cancer: A Review of The Efficacy and Mechanism of Resveratrol on The Metabolism of Varying Types of Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring substance found in foods such as fruits. In addition to having antioxidant properties [1], they are purported to have inhibitory effects on the metabolism of certain cancer cells.  Three different studies that were conducted within the last 12 years are examined. Each of these studies researches the effects that resveratrol has on cancer cells. The first study, published in 2000, explores how resveratrol inhibits the growth of colonic cancer cells [1]. The second study, which was published in 2002, observes the effect that resveratrol has on several distinct types of cancer cell lines and how resveratrol concentration affects the growth rate of those types of cancer cells [3].  The final study occurred in 2007 and conducted in-depth research on how resveratrol induces autophagy in ovarian cancer cells and how it may be related to glucose metabolism in those cancer cells [2]. Lastly, the results of each study are examined to see how they further the current knowledge base of resveratrol and cancer cells, and see which questions that the results of the studies do not answer.