Molecular Insights into Phytochemicals Mediated Epigenetic Regulation in Preclinical Models of Breast Cancer

One of the most common malignant tumors in women worldwide is breast cancer, which affects even more than one-third of all female tumor patients. Patient outcomes and effective therapeutic strategies are frequently determined by molecular subtypes in breast cancer. However, the underlying epigenetic characteristics that could further divide breast cancer patients into groups and affect their outcomes could be the reason for the differences in therapeutic response. It is true that there have been recent findings about the role of epigenetic abnormalities in cancer, and that therapeutics targeting particular epigenetic pathways have been developed. Phytochemicals function as gene regulators in a variety of cancers and are crucial to the pathophysiology of many human cancers, including breast cancer. Preclinical studies have revealed that phytochemicals exhibit promising therapeutic efficacy against breast carcinoma by modulating several epigenetic alterations including DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNA and estrogen associated epigenetic changes. Nevertheless, despite promising in vitro and in vivo results, the clinical application of phytochemicals targeting epigenetic markers in breast cancer is limited. Further research is required to confirm their effectiveness and safety in clinical settings. Thus, this study provides a thorough summary of how epigenetic changes contribute to the development of breast cancer. This article also explores the potential benefits of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, isothiocyanates, and quinones, in modulating these epigenetic markers in preclinical models of breast cancer.