Quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid found in foods such as onions and apples, exhibits potent anti-cancer properties, particularly against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in preclinical studies. It exerts therapeutic effects by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting apoptosis, inhibiting metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and modulating key signaling and metabolic pathways through microRNA (miR)-22 and miR-1254 regulation. Notably, quercetin influences epigenetic mechanisms by upregulating tumor-suppressive miRNAs and potentially altering histone and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation. These actions collectively suppress tumor progression and enhance treatment response in experimental models. Given its natural origin and potentially low toxicity, though safety data in humans at therapeutic doses remain limited, quercetin offers a promising adjunct in OSCC management and warrants further investigation in clinical settings to validate its therapeutic potential. However, challenges related to bioavailability and the need for robust clinical validation must be addressed.
Rajaram et al. (Wed,) studied this question.