Quercetin and its nanoformulations in cancer treatment

Quercetin is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in many foods and therapeutic plants. Numerous pharmacological characteristics of quercetin, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anticancer, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and immunomodulatory activities, have been established by recent research. According to recent research, quercetin can reverse tumor cell resistance, increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments, and improve the quality of life for cancer patients by preventing the growth and invasion of different tumor cells through mechanisms like autophagy, ferroptosis, and apoptosis. Nevertheless, quercetin's low solubility and poor absorption due to its lipophilic nature restrict its therapeutic use and promotion. Quercetin nanoformulations provide benefits in terms of increasing drug bioavailability and efficacy while facilitating accurate drug distribution to tumor locations due to their improved penetration and stability. These formulations have excellent potential for clinical use due to their high efficiency and minimal toxicity. The mechanisms underlying quercetin's anticancer actions and the state of research on its nanoformulations are outlined in this article. The objective is to gain a better understanding of quercetin's anticancer characteristics and provide creative ways to get around translation obstacles in the creation of quercetin nanoformulations.