Nowadays cancer is the leading cause of death in more economically developed countries. Cancer chemoprevention is a term used to describe application of substances to stop or impede the development of cancer. As is well known, the diet rich in fruit, vegetables and spices exhibits these properties. Numerous phytochemicals derived from edible plants have been reported to interfere with a specific stage of the carcinogenic process. Recent studies show that β-ionone found in many plants may be a potential anticancer agent. Until now it has been mainly used the in perfumery-cosmetic industry This review describes the anticancer activity of β-ionone demonstrated against a wide variety of tumors and is based on numerous in vitro and in vivo experiments. High efficiency of β-ionone gives hope for its broader application in prevention and treatment of cancer.

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