Cell/ Animal model Phenolic acids and derivatives Anticarcinogenic activities Reference Caco-2 3-O-Methylgallic acid; gallic acid ↓ cell viability; induce apoptotic cell death; (-) G0/G1 phase; ↓ S-phase; (-) NF-kB; (-)AP-1 (activator protein-1);     (-) STAT-1 and (-)OCT-1 [14]   Caco-2 Ferulic acid; p-coumaric acid ↓ cell viability ↓ G1 phase; ↑ S and G2 phase [9] Caco-2 Ferulic acid; p-coumaric acid regulation cell proliferation;  regulation cell cycle [12] HT-29 5-Caffeoylquinic acid; caffeic acid ↓ cell viability; ↑ G0/G1phase; ↓ G2/M phase; ↑ apoptosis [16] HT-29 Caffeic acid; coumaric acid; ferulic acid (-) cell proliferation; (-) superoxide anion production; (-) cell adhesion [29]   HCT15 Caffeic acid (-) cell growth; (-) colony formation; ↓ forward scatter;           ↑ side scatter; ↑sub-G1 phase; ↑ ROS; ↑ apoptosis [18] HCT116 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic acid ↓ proliferative activity [21] HCT116 Caffeic acid esters; ferulic acid esters (-) cell proliferation; (-) COX-1 and COX-2; (-) peroxidation in vitro [24] HCT116 Caffeic acid phenethyl ester; caffeic acid phenylpropyl ester Cell cycle arrest G0/G1 phase; (-)  D1 cyclin; (-) PCNA; (-) NF-kB [22] HCT116 Caffeic acid phenyl ester ↑ G0/G1 phase cells; ↓ S phase ratio; ↑apoptosis; (-) cell proliferation [19] HCT116 SW480 Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (-) cell growth; ↑ apoptosis; ↑ G0/G1 phase; ↓ mRNA  expression; ↓ D1 and c-myc protein [27] SW-480 Caffeic acid phenethyl ester; caffeic acid phenylpropyl ester Cell cycle arrest G0/G1 phase; (-) D1 cyclin and PCNA; (-) expression of NF-kB [22] HT 29 HCT-15 p-Coumaric acid (-) cell growth; (-) colony formation; ↑ sub-G1phase; ↑ apoptosis and ↑ROS [25] RKO HT-29 3,4-, 3,5- and 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic fraction ↑ ratio Bax:Bcl-2 protein expression; ↑ apoptosis; ↑ activation of caspase-8; (-) cell proliferation [26] SW480 SW620 Cycloartenylferulate (-) cell growth; ↑ apoptosis [31] SW480 p-Coumaric acid; caffeic acid; ferulic acid (-) viable cells; (-) colony formation [30] DLD-1 Dicaffeoylquinic acid from sweet potato leaf (-) cell growth; (-) cell proliferation [17] CT26 Caffeic acid phenyl ester (-) cell invasion; ↓ MMP-2 and MMP-9; ↓ VEGF [33] mouse xenograft model with  colorectal tumor Caffeic acid phenethyl ester; caffeic acid phenylpropyl ester ↓ growth of colorectal tumors; (-) PCNA, FASN and MMP-9 [22] SW480 xenograft in nude mice Cycloartenylferulate induce significant regression of tumor [31] F344 rats Ferulic acid and its geranylated derivative 3-(4′-geranyloxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-propenoate  (-) effects on aberrant crypt foci (ACF); (-) aberrant crypts (AC) development; (-) cell proliferation; (-) cells in S-phase [32]

Table 1: Effects of phenolic acids in different colon cancer cell lines and animal models, Legend: (-) inhibition, suppression.