Molecular Targets of Dietary Phytochemicals for Human Chronic Diseases: Cancer, Obesity, and Alzheimer’s Diseases

Naturally occurring dietary phytochemicals have been recognized as possessing many health-promoting effects. Recent studies suggest that inflammation is closely related to chronic disease, including cancer, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, obesity, diabetes, asthma, articular rheumatism, and skin-aging. Extracellular stimuli transmit signals into a cell by activating the target kinases involved in inflammation and the onset of chronic diseases. Phytochemicals can directly bind to specific proteins involved in intracellular signaling networks and regulate their activity, leading to diverse physiological effects. A better understanding of the direct interactions between phytochemicals and target proteins would contribute to development of nutritional strategies for preventing or delaying the development of chronic diseases. In this review, recently identified molecular targets and signaling pathways regulated by phytochemicals will be discussed.