Table 1 Polyphenols that exert an effect on autophagy to increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic drugs

Curcumin

Gefitinib

Enhances the efficacy of the drug and overcomes the EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR and/or KRAS mutation

[150]

5-Fluorouracil

Exerts synergistic effect with the chemotherapeutic drug by impairing AMPK/ULK1-dependent autophagy

[155]

Docetaxel

Leads to induction of apoptosis and autophagy through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

[156]

Resveratrol

Cisplatin

Induces autophagic and apoptotic death in drug-resistant oral cancer cells

[151]

Gefitinib

Overcomes drug resistance while inducing apoptosis, autophagy, and senescence in PC9/G NSCLC cells

[157]

EGCG

Cisplatin

Increases sensitivity of CAR cells, apoptosis, and autophagy by AKT/STAT3 pathway

[154]

Apigenin

Cisplatin

Inhibits growth of drug-resistant colon cancer cells while inducing autophagy

[158]

Liquiritin

Cisplatin

Induces apoptosis and autophagy in drug-resistant gastric cancer cells

[159]

GL-V9

Adriamycin

Reverses drug resistance by blocking JNK2-related protective autophagy in HCC

[160]