| Rank |
Pathway / Axis |
Cancer / Tumor Context |
Normal Tissue Context |
TSF |
Primary Effect |
Notes / Interpretation |
| 1 |
Mitochondrial function / electron transport support |
Bioenergetic modulation (context-dependent) |
ATP production support ↑ (reported) |
P, R |
Mitochondrial optimization |
Dibenzo-α-pyrones and fulvic acids are reported to support mitochondrial respiration in non-cancer models. |
| 2 |
Nrf2 / antioxidant response |
Redox tone modulation (model-dependent) |
Nrf2 ↑; antioxidant enzymes ↑ |
R, G |
Redox buffering |
Commonly described as antioxidant; tumor-direction effects are not well established. |
| 3 |
NF-κB inflammatory signaling |
NF-κB ↓ (reported; limited cancer data) |
Inflammation tone ↓ |
R, G |
Anti-inflammatory modulation |
Anti-inflammatory effects are better documented than direct tumor cytotoxicity. |
| 4 |
ROS modulation |
ROS ↓ or stabilized (context-dependent) |
Oxidative stress ↓ |
P, R, G |
Antioxidant effect |
Acts primarily as redox stabilizer rather than ROS generator. |
| 5 |
AMPK / metabolic stress pathways |
Metabolic modulation (limited direct tumor evidence) |
Energy homeostasis support ↑ |
R, G |
Metabolic adaptation |
Some reports suggest improved metabolic efficiency; not a primary oncologic mechanism. |
| 6 |
Cell-cycle / apoptosis |
Apoptosis ↑ (reported in limited preclinical studies) |
↔ |
G |
Conditional cytotoxicity |
Data are sparse and largely cell-line based; not a strong, consistent cytotoxic signature. |
| 7 |
Immune modulation |
Immune tone modulation (context-dependent) |
Immune support ↑ |
R, G |
Adaptogenic effect |
Traditional use emphasizes immune and vitality support rather than direct anticancer activity. |
| 8 |
Metal chelation / mineral transport |
Trace mineral transport effects (uncertain tumor relevance) |
Mineral absorption modulation |
P |
Biochemical modulation |
Fulvic acid has chelation properties; relevance to oncology unclear. |
| 9 |
Quality / contamination risk |
Variable depending on preparation |
Heavy metal exposure risk if unrefined |
— |
Safety constraint |
Crude shilajit may contain heavy metals; purified standardized extracts preferred. |
| 10 |
Bioavailability variability |
Systemic exposure varies by extraction/purification |
— |
— |
Translation constraint |
Composition varies widely; standardization typically based on fulvic acid content. |