简介：Cancerisamajorhealthconcernandleadingburdenoneconomyworldwide.Anincreasingeffortisdevotedtoisolationanddevelopmentofplant-deriveddietarycomponentsaseffectivechemo-preventiveproducts.Phytochemicalcompoundsfromnaturalresourcessuchasfruitsandvegetablesareresponsiblefordecreasingtheriskofcertaincancersamongtheconsumingpopulations.Apigenin,aflavonoidphytochemicalfoundinmanykindsoffruitsandvegetables,hasbeenshowntoexertsignificantbiologicaleffects,suchasanti-oxidant,anti-inflammatoryandmostparticularlyanti-neoplasticproperties.Thisreviewisintendedtosummarizethemostrecentadvancesintheanti-proliferativeandchemo-preventiveeffectsofapigeninindifferentcancermodels.Analysisofthedatafromthestudiedcancermodelshasrevealedthatapigeninexertsitsanti-proliferativeeffectsthroughmultipleandcomplexpathways.Thisguidedustodiscoversomecontroversialresultsabouttheexactroleofcertainmolecularpathwayssuchasautophagyintheanticancereffectsofapigenin.Further,therewerecumulativepositiveevidencessupportingtheinvolvementofcertainpathwayssuchasapoptosis,ROSandDNAdamageandrepair.Apigeninpossessesahighpotentialtobeusedasachemosensitizingagentthroughtheup-regulationofDR5pathway.Accordingtothesepreclinicalfindingswerecommendthatfurtherrobustunbiasedstudiesshouldconsiderthepossibleinteractionsbetweendifferentmolecularpathways.