Monoterpenes are a class of phytonutrients with antioxidant action. These nutrients are one of the classes of plant-derived agents which are being evaluated in clinical prevention trials for breast cancer.

Monoterpenes include D-limonene, perillyl alcohol and geraniol.

References

Crowell PL Prevention and therapy of cancer by dietary monoterpenes J Nutr 1999 Mar;129(3):775S-778S, Fabian CJBreast cancer chemoprevention: beyond tamoxifen.Breast Cancer Res 2001;3(2):99-103, Bardon S, Picard K, Martel PMonoterpenes inhibit cell growth, cell cycle progression, and cyclin D1 gene expression in human breast cancer cell lines: Nutr Cancer 1998;32(1):1-7. Gould MN. Cancer chemoprevention and therapy by monoterpenes. Environ Health Perspect 1997 Jun;105 Suppl 4:977-9. Raphael TJ, Kuttan G.Effect of naturally occurring monoterpenes carvone, limonene and perillic acid in the inhibition of experimental lung metastasis induced by B16F-10 melanoma cells.J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Sep;22(3):419-24.