Apple Peel & Cancer

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Rui Hai Liu, Cornell associate professor of food science, analyzed the peel

from 230 pounds of red delicious apples. Credit: Robert Barker/Cornell

University Photography

 

 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Or, what appears to be more accurate:

An apple peel a day might help keep cancer at bay, according to a new Cornell

study.

(http://physorg.tradepub.com/?pt=cat & page=_INTL) Cornell researchers have

identified a dozen compounds -- triterpenoids -- in apple peel that either

inhibit or kill _cancer cells_ (http://www.physorg.com/news100171974.html#) in

laboratory cultures. Three of the compounds have not previously been described

in the literature.

 

" We found that several compounds have potent anti-proliferative activities

against human liver, colon and _breast cancer_

(http://www.physorg.com/news100171974.html#) cells and may be partially

responsible for the anti-cancer

activities of whole apples, " says Rui Hai Liu, Cornell associate professor of

food science. Liu is affiliated with Cornell's Institute of Comparative and

Environmental Toxicology and is senior author of the study, which is online and

published this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

 

In previous Cornell studies, apples had been found not only to fight cancer

cells in the laboratory but also to reduce the number and size of mammary

tumors in rats. The Cornell researchers now think that the triterpenoids may be

doing much of the anti-cancer work.

 

" Some compounds were more potent and acted differently against the various

cancer cell lines, but they all show very potent anti-cancer activities and

should be studied further, " said Liu.

 

 

With co-author Xiangjiu He, a Cornell postdoctoral researcher, Liu analyzed

the peel from 230 pounds of red delicious apples from the Cornell Orchard and

isolated their individual compounds. After identifying the structures of the

promising compounds in the peel, the researchers tested the pure compounds

against cancer cell growth in the laboratory. In the past, Liu has also

identified compounds called phytochemicals -- mainly flavonoids and phenolic

acids

-- in apples and other foods that appear to be have anti-cancer properties as

well, including inhibiting tumor growth in human breast cancer cells.

 

" We believe that a recommendation that consumers to eat five to 12 servings

of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily is appropriate to reduce the

risks of chronic diseases, including cancer, and to meet nutrient

requirements for optimum health, " said Liu.

 

_http://www.physorg.com/news100171974.html_

(http://www.physorg.com/news100171974.html)

 

 

 

 

 

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