Polysaccharides with Antitumor Effect in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of Non-Clinical Studies

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 13; no. 6; p. 2008
• Main Authors: Corso, Claudia Rita, Mulinari Turin de Oliveira, Natalia, Moura Cordeiro, Leonardo, Sauruk da Silva, Karien, da Silva Soczek, Suzany Hellen, Frota Rossato, Virgilio, Fernandes, Elizabeth Soares, Maria-Ferreira, Daniele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.06.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Algae; Angiogenesis; Animals; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Antitumor activity; Apoptosis; Bias; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Cancer; Cancer therapies; cancer treatment; Cell growth; Clinical trials; Evaluation; Female; Fucoidan; Glucans; Humans; In vivo methods and tests; Literature reviews; Low income groups; Mammography; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Mushrooms; natural source; nonclinical studies; Oncology, Experimental; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - therapeutic use; Publication Bias; Reviews; Risk; Saccharides; Systematic Review; Tumors; β-Glucan; China; nonclinical studies; polysaccharides; cancer treatment; breast cancer; natural source
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu13062008

To review the effects of polysaccharides and their proposed mechanisms of action in breast cancer experimental models. Articles were selected by using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Medline, assessed from 1 May 2019 to 1 July 2020. The systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (Prospero) under the number CRD42020169103. Most of the studies explore algae polysaccharides (43.2%), followed by mushrooms (13.5%), plants (13.5%), fruits (10.8%), fungus (2.7%), bacteria, (2.7%), and sea animals (2.7%). A total of 8.1% investigated only in vitro models, 62.1% evaluated only in vivo models, and 29.7% evaluated in vitro and in vivo models. The mechanism of action involves apoptosis, inhibition of cellular proliferation, angiogenesis, and antimetastatic effects through multiple pathways. Findings included here support further investigations on the anti-tumor effect of polysaccharides. Some polysaccharides, such as fucoidan and β-glucans, deserve detailed and structured studies aiming at translational research on breast tumors, since they are already used in the clinical practice of other proposals of human health.