Nutraceuticals as anti-angiogenic agents: hopes and reality.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from preexisting vascular network is a driving force of organ development in ontogeny, is necessary for ovulation and hair growth, and is prerequisite for proper wound healing. It is also a critical mechanism of numerous diseases, the most important of which are cancer and atherosclerosis. Therefore, modulation of angiogenesis is considered as therapeutic strategies of great importance for human health. Numerous bioactive plant compounds, often referred to as nutraceuticals are recently tested for the potential clinical applications. Among the most frequently studied are resveratrol, a polyphenol present in red-wine and grape-seed, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea and curcumin from Curcuma longa. It is also possible that components of other plants, including the constituents of local food diet may find application for modulation of angiogenesis, provided that their effectiveness will be confirmed in controlled, scientifically validated trials.