biomolecules Review Understanding the Therapeutic Potential of Ascorbic Acid in the Battle to Overcome Cancer Jurnal Reang 1, Prabodh Chander Sharma 1 , Vijay Kumar Thakur 2,* and Jaseela Majeed 3,* 1 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India;
[email protected] (J.R.);
[email protected] (P.C.S.) 2 Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Centre, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK 3 School of Allied Health Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India * Correspondence:
[email protected] (V.K.T.);
[email protected] (J.M.); Tel.: +91-948-399-2488 (J.M.) Abstract: Cancer, a fatal disease, is also one of the main causes of death worldwide. Despite various developments to prevent and treat cancer, the side effects of anticancer drugs remain a major concern. Ascorbic acid is an essential vitamin required by our bodies for normal physiological function and also has antioxidant and anticancer activity. Although the body cannot synthesize ascorbic acid, it is abundant in nature through foods and other natural sources and also exists as a nutritional food supplement. In anticancer drug development, ascorbic acid has played an important role by inhibiting the development of cancer through various mechanisms, including scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), selectively producing ROS and encouraging their cytotoxicity against Citation: Reang, J.; Sharma, P.C.; tumour cells, preventing glucose metabolism, serving as an epigenetic regulator, and regulating the Thakur, V.K.; Majeed, J. expression of HIF in tumour cells.