Abstract
Cancer is one of the prominent global causes of death and the foremost worldwide health concern.
Despite unprecedented progress in cancer chemoprevention, a vast number of cancers, however, remain an
undefeatable challenge for treatment modalities. Immense therapeutic activities of puerarin contribute to its use
in various health disorders. In this review, we explored the potential molecular mechanisms and targets of puerarin,
proving its potential as a novel anticancer agent, for future cancer therapy and chemoprevention. Several
mechanisms account for anticancer activity of puerarin which includes downregulation of NF-kB signalling
pathway, mTOR signalling pathway, PI3K and BCl-2 proteins and upregulation of miR-16, caspase proteins, c-
Jun N terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. These alterations result in inhibition of
cancer cell proliferation and/or induction of apoptosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in
chemotherapy and chemoprevention could aid in the more pronounced exploration of puerarin in effective cancer
treatment.