Broccoli, Red Chili Pepper May Slow Cancer Tumors: Study
Dietary agents in red chili pepper and broccoli may help fight cancer by slowing or preventing the growth of cancerous tumor cells, say two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The studies investigated the effect that these dietary agents had on two types of cancers that have poor prognoses.
"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. We discovered that red chili pepper and broccoli appear to be effective inhibitors of the cancer process," lead investigator Sanjay K. Srivastava, an assistant professor in the department of pharmacology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
The first study found that capsaicin, the "hot" ingredient in red chili pepper, exhibited anti-cancer activity against pancreatic cancer cells.
"Our results demonstrate that capsaicin is a potent anticancer agent, induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells and produces no significant damage to normal pancreatic cells, indicating its potential use as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer," Srivastava said.
The second study found that phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which is found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, showed cancer-fighting properties when tested on ovarian cancer cells.
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