Dietary natural products and lung cancer: Effects and mechanisms of action

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests an important role of dietary natural products in the prevention and management of lung cancer, such as grapes, pomegranates, apples, cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, bitter melons, turmeric, ginger, saffron, garlic, chili, rosemary, soy, rice bran, corn, shiitake mushroom, Calvatia gigantea, and Thelephora ganbajun. These edible natural products and their bioactive constituents influence cancer development and progression through multiple ways, including suppressing cancer cell growth and proliferation, inducing cell apoptosis, protecting against lung carcinogens, inhibiting cell migration and adhesion, and immunomodulating and sensitizing cancer cells to antitumor drugs. This review focuses on the potential prevention and management of lung cancer using dietary natural products and their relevant bioactive components, and discusses the possible mechanisms of action.