PLANT ANTICARCINOGENS

There is strong epidemiological evidence to suggest that the consumpti on of diets rich in plant materials is associated with a reduced risk of cancer. Human beings are probably adapted to consume relatively lar ge quantities of biologically active phytochemicals derived from as ma ny as 300 different plant genera. Plant foods contain a variety of pot entially anticarcinogenic secondary metabolites, and these can conveni ently be classified as blocking agents and suppressing agents. Blockin g agents modulate the activation and detoxification of carcinogens, wh ereas suppressing agents are thought to modify post-initiation events including cellular differentation, proliferation and apoptosis. The fu ll significance of these mechanisms needs to be assessed in further re search, preferably using suitable biomarkers in human subjects.