New lab tests at Texas AgriLife Research seem to show that breast cancer cells – even the most aggressive type – died after treatments with peach and plum extracts. Even better news is that not only were the cancerous cells ‘killed’ but the normal cells were not harmed in the process.
It may be peaches and plums to us, but the AgriLife Research scientists say it is two specific phenolic compounds that are responsible for the cancer cell deaths: namely chlorogenic and neochlorogenic. Phenols are organic compounds that occur naturally in fruits and are slightly acidic and may be associated with traits such as aroma, taste or colour.
The traditional treatment for breast cancer is chemotherapy, but the problem is that it kills all cells, healthy and cancerous, so it is really tough on the body. So this new research could be a promising way forward. The team said laboratory tests also confirmed that the compounds prevented cancer from growing when given to animals.
The researchers chose breast cancer to test their theory on as, according to the World Health Organization, it accounts for 16 percent of the cancer deaths of women globally.
Oh, and in case you are a gardener, the cells were treated with an extract from two commercial varieties: “Rich Lady” peach and “Black Splendor” plum.
