天然产品在许多人类恶性肿瘤的病因中发挥重要作用，包括结肠直肠癌，并且可以在许多肿瘤中作为基因调节剂。它们通过许多细胞信号途径，包括Rac家族小GTP酶1（RAC1）/PI3K/AKT（α丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶）、有丝分裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）、Wnt/β-连环蛋白途径、转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶和信号转导子（JAK-STAT）、核因子 kappa-B（NF-κB）、Notch途径、Hippo途径和Hedgehog途径调节恶性细胞生长。在本综述中，我们描述了几种天然产品，如基础甲苷D（PD）、人参皂甙Rd、维甲酸、芦丁、姜黄素、丁香提取物、山梨酸、白藜芦醇和姜黄素在结肠直肠癌中的表观遗传学作用，包括它们对结肠直肠癌细胞增殖、凋亡、侵袭、迁移和抗化疗抵抗性的影响。本论述旨在阐述天然产品在癌症预防和治疗中的表观遗传学作用机制，并提供（1）研究表观遗传学在影响结肠直肠癌中的作用的理论基础；（2）研究结肠直肠癌发生、发展和预后的新方向；（3）治疗和预防结肠直肠癌的新靶点。

Natural products play important roles in the pathogenesis of many human malignancies, including colorectal cancer, and can act as a gene regulator in many cancers. They regulate malignant cell growth through many cellular signal pathways, including Rac family small GTPase 1 (RAC1)/PI3K/AKT (α-serine/threonine-protein kinase), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Wnt/β-catenin pathway, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), the Notch pathway, Hippo pathway, and Hedgehog pathway. In this review, we describe the epigenetic roles of several natural products, e.g., platycodin D (PD), ginsenoside Rd, tretinoin, Rutin, curcumin, clove extract, betulinic acid, resveratrol, and curcumin, in colorectal cancer, including their impact on colorectal cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and anti-chemotherapeutic resistance. The aim is to illustrate the epigenetic mechanisms of action of natural products in cancer prevention and treatment, and to provide (1) a theoretical basis for the study of the role of epigenetics in influencing colorectal cancer; (2) new directions for studying the occurrence, development, and prognosis of colorectal cancer; and (3) new targets for treating and preventing colorectal cancer.