In order to discover new cancer chemopreventive agents from natural or synthetic products, a structurally diverse class of chemopreventive agents was evaluated using in vitro biomarker of inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in cultured mouse epidermal 308 (ME)308 cells. As a results, apigenin, benzylisothiocyanate, curcumin, diallyl disulfide, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4-HPR), menadione, miconazole, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and phenethyl isothiocyanate showed potent inhibitory effects in this process. A chemically diverse group of compounds was included in the evaluation, such as flavonoids, retinoids, isothiocyanates, sulfur-containing compounds and phenolic antioxidant compounds. These data are suggestive to understand the cancer chemopreventive potential mediated by these substances.