β-Ionone and its analogs as promising anticancer agents

β-Ionone is an end-ring analog of β-carotenoids which widely distributed in fruit and vegetables. Recent studies have demonstrated anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and apoptosis induction properties of β-ionone in vitro and in vivo. Also, the studies have focused on investigating the β-ionone action on different types of malignant cells and the possible mechanisms of action. Moreover, the quest of new synthetic β-ionone-based compounds possessing anti-proliferative, anti-metastatic and apoptosis induction activities may enable the discovery of compounds which can be used in combination regimes thus overcoming tumor resistance to conventional anticancer agents. These new agents will also be useful for targeting distinct signaling pathways, to activate selectively mechanisms for apoptosis in cancer cells but devoid of undesirable side effects. In this paper, we reviewed the potentialities of β-ionone and related compounds in cancer prevention and chemotherapy.