Kathmandu, December 27

Researchers claimed that they identified the potential of a flavonoid metabolite to prevent colorectal cancer. Actually, the compound is found in fruit and vegetables, such as blackberries, blueberries, red grapes, apples, red onions, broccoli, pomegranate, strawberries, apricots, red cabbage, and peels of purple eggplant, as well as chocolate and tea.

Associate Professor Jayarama Gunaje and his team at South Dakota State University in Brookings were investigating aspirin as a way to prevent cancer at the begging but in between of of their investigation they uncovered new details about flavonoids and how they might prevent colorectal cancer, as per Medical News Today.

"Our laboratory has been working on the mechanism of cancer prevention by aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), a household drug that has been known to decrease the occurrences of colorectal cancers for over a decade. While investigating this phenomenon, we were conducting experiments on the role of aspirin metabolites and other derivatives of salicylic acid for their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth," Gunaje explained as quoted by Medical News Today.

As per the research published in the journal called Cancers, the team discovered that 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (2, 4, 6-THBA) — a compound produced when gut bacteria break down flavonoids — inhibits the enzymes involved in cell division.

"Encouraged by these findings, we hypothesized that 2, 4, 6-THBA might be a contributor to the cancer preventive properties of flavonoids. Subsequent experiments proved that 2, 4, 6-THBA inhibits cancer cell growth in cells expressing a functional transporter protein (SLC5A8) in the plasma membrane," Gunaje said.

Previous studies had identified that flavonoids, natural compounds in fruit and vegetables, inhibit cancer, but no one knew what made them effective.

The researchers, while using multiple human cancer cell lines grown in the laboratory, found that 2, 4, 6-THBA effectively inhibited cancer cell growth.

Hamro Doctor