Brazilian Berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows.

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Brazilian Berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows.

 

>

> Brazilian Berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows

> Filed under Research, Health, Sciences, Agriculture on Thursday, January

> 12, 2006.

>

>

> GAINESVILLE, Fla. - A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains

> antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent

> University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the fruit's

> purported benefits.

>

> Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the

> study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH'-ee) berries triggered a

> self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested,

said

> Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute of Food and

> Agricultural Sciences.

>

> " Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of

> antioxidants, " Talcott said. " This study was an important step toward

> learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary

supplements or

> other products made with the berries. "

>

> He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to

> show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in

> people.

>

> " This was only a cell-culture model and we don't want to give anyone

false

> hope, " Talcott said. " We are encouraged by the findings, however.

> Compounds that show good activity against cancer cells in a model system

> are most likely to have beneficial effects in our bodies. "

>

> Other fruits, including grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain antioxidants

> shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he said. Experts are

> uncertain how much effect antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human

> body, because factors such as nutrient absorption, metabolism and the

> influence of other biochemical processes may influence the antioxidants'

> chemical activity.

>

> Another UF study, slated to conclude in 2006, will investigate the

effects

> of acai's antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The

study

> will determine how well the compounds are absorbed into the blood,

and how

> they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol levels and related health

> indicators. So far, only fundamental research has been done on acai

> berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet unidentified compounds.

>

> " One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they're

> perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking, " he

said.

> " Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for

> about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had

> little or no opportunity to study them. "

>

> Talcott said UF is one of the first institutions outside Brazil with

> personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF's acai research

team

> includes Susan Percival, a professor with the food science and human

> nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran, a doctoral student

with the

> department and Susanne Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate

with the

> pharmaceutics department of UF's College of Pharmacy.

>

> Acai berries are produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe

> oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the Amazon River, Talcott said.

> When ripe, the berries are dark purple and about the size of a

blueberry.

> They contain a thin layer of edible pulp surrounding a large seed.

>

> Historically, Brazilians have used acai berries to treat digestive

> disorders and skin conditions, he said. Current marketing efforts by

> retail merchants and Internet businesses suggest acai products can help

> consumers lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.

>

> " A lot of claims are being made, but most of them haven't been tested

> scientifically, " Talcott said. " We are just beginning to understand the

> complexity of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects. "

>

> In the current UF study, six different chemical extracts were made from

> acai fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven concentrations.

>

> Four of the extracts were shown to kill significant numbers of leukemia

> cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on the extract and

> concentration, anywhere from about 35 percent to 86 percent of the cells

> died.

>

> The UF study demonstrates that research on foods not commonly

consumed in

> the United States is important, because it may lead to unexpected

> discoveries, said Joshua Bomser, an assistant professor of molecular

> nutrition and functional foods at The Ohio State University in Columbus,

> Ohio.

>

> But familiar produce items have plenty of health-giving qualities, he

> said.

>

> " Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is associated with

> decreased risk for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer, "

> said Bomser, who researches the effects of diet on chronic diseases.

> " Getting at least five servings a day of these items is still a good

> recommendation for promoting optimal health. "

>