The potential role of rutin, a flavonoid, in the management of cancer through modulation of cell signaling pathways.

Cancer treatment continues to face challenges due to adverse effects, drug resistance linked with conventional therapies, and high costs. As increasing interest in safer and cost-effective alternatives drugs, natural products such as flavonoids have been explored for treating cancer. Rutin, a dietary flavonoid, exhibits diverse pharmacological activities that may contribute to cancer prevention and treatment. It interferes with cancer progression by inducing apoptosis and autophagy, promoting cell cycle arrest, regulating oxidative stress, activating tumor suppressor gene, and modulating various signaling cascades. Recent studies also suggest that combining rutin with other therapeutic agents or employing nanoformulations may enhance its bioavailability and anticancer efficacy. This review critically examines anticancer mechanisms across various cancer types and highlights novel strategies to explored their therapeutic potential. The comprehensive clinical trials and mechanistic studies are needed to validate its safety, bioavailability, and efficacy in cancer management.