With the recent quantum leap in chemoprevention by dietary products, their use as cancer therapeutics is garnering worldwide attention. The concept of effortlessly fighting this deadly disease by gulping cups of green tea or swallowing green tea extract capsules is appreciated universally. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major polyphenol in green tea, has generated significant interest in controlling carcinogenesis due to its growth-inhibitory efficacy against a variety of cancers by targeting multiple signaling pathways. However, the success of EGCG in preclinical studies is difficult to translate into clinical trials due to issues of low solubility, bioavailability and an uncertain therapeutic window. The laborious and expensive journey of drugs from the laboratory to commercialization can be improved by utilizing nanoparticles as anti-cancer drug carriers. Exploitation of biopolymeric nanoparticles in recent years has improved EGCG's biodistribution, stability and tumor selectivity, revealing its superior chemopreventive effects. This review briefly summarizes recent developments regarding the targets and side effects of EGCG, complications associated with its low bioavailability and critically analyses the application of biopolymeric nanoparticles encapsulating EGCG as a next generation delivery systems.
Keywords: Biopolymers; Cancer; EGCG; Green tea; Nanoparticles.
Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.