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Natural plant compounds may assist chemotherapy

Date:
March 27, 2014
Source:
New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research
Summary:
Plant compounds present in carrots and parsley may one day support more effective delivery of chemotherapy treatments, new research has found. Specific plant compounds are able to inhibit transport mechanisms in the body that select what compounds are absorbed into the body, and eventually into cells. These same transport mechanisms are known to interfere with cancer chemotherapy treatment.
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Researchers at Plant & Food Research have identified plant compounds present in carrots and parsley that may one day support more effective delivery of chemotherapy treatments.

Scientists at Plant & Food Research, working together with researchers at The University of Auckland and the National Cancer Institute of The Netherlands, have discovered specific plant compounds able to inhibit transport mechanisms in the body that select what compounds are absorbed into the body, and eventually into cells. These same transport mechanisms are known to interfere with cancer chemotherapy treatment.

The teams' research, recently published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, showed that falcarinol type compounds such as those found in carrots and parsley may support the delivery of drug compounds which fight breast cancer by addressing the over-expression of Breast Cancer Resistance Protein (BCRP/ABCG2), a protein that leads to some malignant tissues ability to become resistant to chemotherapy.

"It's very exciting work," says Plant & Food Research Senior Scientist, Dr Arjan Scheepens. "Our work is uncovering new means to alter how the body absorbs specific chemical and natural compounds. Ultimately we are interested in how food could be used to complement conventional treatments to potentially deliver better results for patients."


Story Source:

Materials provided by New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kee W. Tan, Daniel P. Killeen, Yan Li, James W. Paxton, Nigel P. Birch, Arjan Scheepens. Dietary polyacetylenes of the falcarinol type are inhibitors of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP/ABCG2). European Journal of Pharmacology, 2014; 723: 346 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.11.005

Cite This Page:

New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. "Natural plant compounds may assist chemotherapy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 March 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327101507.htm>.
New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. (2014, March 27). Natural plant compounds may assist chemotherapy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327101507.htm
New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. "Natural plant compounds may assist chemotherapy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327101507.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

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