Cruciferous veg, chili could slow or stop cancer cell growth

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Cruciferous veg, chili could slow or stop cancer cell growth

 

20/04/2005 - Two new studies carried out at the University of

Pittsburg point to the potential of foods like broccoli and chili

pepper in slowing or preventing the growth of cancerous cells.

 

" In our studies, we decided to look at two particular cancers –

ovarian and pancreatic – with low survival rates, to ascertain the

contribution of diet and nutrition to the development of these

cancers, " said Dr Sanjay Srivastava, lead investigator and assistant

professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's

department of pharmacology.

 

The findings were presented this week at the annual meeting of the

studies at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer

Research in Anaheim, CA.

 

" We discovered that red chili pepper and broccoli appear to be

effective inhibitors of the cancer process, " said Srivastava.

 

In the first study, the researchers treated human pancreatic cells

with capsaicin, the crystalline alkaloid found in chili peppers that

gives them their fiery taste and which has previously been thought to

have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

 

The capsaicin was found to disrupt the cells' mitochondrial function,

resulting in the release of a protein called cytochrome c, which

induced apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the cancerous cells.

The normal pancreatic cells were not affected.

 

From these results, Srivastava concluded that capsaicin shows promise

as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer.

 

For the second study, ovarian cancer cells were exposed to phenethyl

isothiocyanate (PEITC), a compound found in broccoli and other

cruciferous vegetables, for 24 hours. The concentration of PEITC used

was consistent with the amount that may be achieved through dietary

intake.

 

Since ovarian cancer is often not detected until it has already

reached an advanced stage, it is notoriously difficult to treat with

success.

 

But this study showed that PEITC may have useful therapeutic benefits,

as it was found to result in " significant inhibition " of the protein

expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which plays a

role in the growth of ovarian cancer.

 

The PEITC was also found to inhibited the activation of akt, another

protein that is responsible for protecting cancer cells against apoptosis.

 

In the past a good deal of research has also been carried into

sulphoraphane glucisinolate, an antioxidant thought to have

anti-cancer and heart health benefits that is occurs abundantly in

broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and

kale.

 

The latest study into the effects of SGS indicates that it may help

reduce cholesterol levels in a matter of days.

 

Carried out at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and The Japan

Institute for the Control of Aging and presented at Natural Products

Expo West last month, it indicated that individuals who ate 3 1/2

ounces of broccoli sprouts every day for a week reduced their overall

cholesterol level and increased levels of HDL or " good " cholesterol.

 

" This study is significant because it underscores the powerful

preventive role that we think sulforaphane plays in assisting the body

to help fend off a variety of diseases, " said Dr Jed Fahey, Johns

Hopkins School of Medicine. " There are human studies underway across

the globe that are examining the diverse disease fighting potential of

this compound. "

 

The discovery of sulphoaphane at John Hopkins in 1992 led a company

called Brassica Protection Products to market patented concentrated

forms of broccoli sprouts - three-day-old broccoli plants said to

provide 20 times the concentration of sulphoraphane glucosinolate as

found in adult broccoli and currently sold in the US, Japan and New

Zealand.