Natural polyphenols as proteasome modulators and their role as anti-cancer compounds

The purpose of this review is to discuss the effect of natural antioxidant compounds as modulators of the 20S proteasome, a multi-enzymatic multi-catalytic complex present in the cytoplasm and nucleus of eukaryotic cells and involved in several cellular activities such as cell-cycle progression, proliferation and the degradation of oxidized and damaged proteins. From this perspective, proteasome inhibition is a promising approach to anticancer therapy and such natural antioxidant effectors can be considered as potential relevant adjuvants and pharmacological models in the study of new drugs.