Research Progress of Foodborne Flavonoids Interfering with Diseases by Regulating Autophagy

Flavonoids are the most important class of active ingredients in plant-derived foods and have biological functions such as anti-inflammatory,anti-cancer,and cardiovascular disease prevention. Autophagy maintains homeostasis in cells by degrading damaged mitochondria,folded protein bodies,viruses and other substances. It is divided into three types:Macroautophagy,microautophagy and molecular chaperone-mediated autophagy,of which macroautophagy is the main type. The flavonoids can regulate autophagy through different signaling pathways and thus interfere with diseases. Among them,the mammalian target of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/rapamycin is the main signaling pathway that regulates autophagy. In this paper,the molecular mechanism and research progress of several flavonoids commonly found in plant-derived foods through autophagy intervention in inflammation,cancer,liver disease and cardiovascular diseases are reviewed.