State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China
Department of Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, China
Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Magdalenka 05-552, Poland
Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla 92037, United States
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria
† Meng-Yao Li, Ao Gu, and Jia-Tong Li contributed equally to this work.
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Highlights
(1) The utilization of resveratrol against gastrointestinal cancers, as an exemplification, elucidated the application of food and medicine homology substances in low-toxicity treatment for tumors.
(2) The effect and molecular mechanism of resveratrol against esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancers were elucidated.
(3) The current status, limitations, and prospects of resveratrol in anti-tumor research were elucidated.
(4) This review analyzes the developmental trends and potential applications of food and medicine homology species in cancer research.
Abstract
The concept of food and medicine homology is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, which emphasizes the significance of substances having both nutritional and therapeutic capabilities. According to these characteristics, food and medicine homology substances may offer an innovative way of treating diseases. Cancer, a global disease with high mortality rates, poses considerable hurdles due to the severe toxic side effects of chemotherapy, which significantly reduce patient quality of life. As a result, there is an urgent need to investigate cancer treatments that have low toxicity and side effects. The use of food and medicine homology substances in cancer prevention and treatment has introduced promising prospects in this domain. Resveratrol, a compound derived from edible plants, exhibits significant anti-tumor action while being less toxic and causing fewer adverse effects. This review describes the use of resveratrol in treating gastrointestinal tumors and emphasizes the significance of food and medicine homologous compounds in tumor disease research. The effect and molecular mechanism of resveratrol to inhibit esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancer is emphasized. Several significant clinical trials of resveratrol targeting gastrointestinal cancers were also incorporated. This review delineates the current status and future potential of food and medicine homology in tumor diseases.
Graphical Abstract
As a representative food and medicine homology substance, resveratrol exhibits significant potential in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal tumors owing to its low toxicity and multi-target activity. This review systematically summarizes the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancers, with mechanisms encompassing the suppression of tumor cell proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest, promotion of apoptosis, activation of autophagy, and reversal of epithelial–mesenchymal transition, involving the regulation of multiple key signaling pathways including PI3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB, Hedgehog, Hippo-YAP, Wnt/β-catenin, and HIF-1α. Furthermore, resveratrol can enhance its anti-invasion and anti-metastasis effects by modulating the tumor microenvironment. Although low oral bioavailability remains a major bottleneck, clinical trials have preliminarily confirmed that its metabolites can reach effective concentrations in colorectal tissues and liver metastases, and its combination with chemotherapy can reduce non-hematological toxicities. Future integration with nano-delivery systems, organoid models, and personalized biomarker screening holds promise for further advancing the clinical translation of resveratrol in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors.
Li M-Y, Gu A, Li J-T, et al. Food and medicine homology substances in cancer treatment: a focus on resveratrol against gastrointestinal tumors. Food & Medicine Homology, 2026,https://doi.org/10.26599/FMH.2027.9420153
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