| Blueberry Compound Shows Cancer-Fighting Promise
|
2007-02-14 07:23:32
ARS-USDA Blueberries
and grapes that contain a compound with the tongue-twisting name of
pterostilbene (pronounced TARE-o-STILL-bean) might help the body
combat a problematic protein, cytochrome P450. The protein is
associated with increased risk of cancer.
In
laboratory tests with liver cells from mice, pterostilbene suppressed
a specific form of the protein ( Xenobiotica, volume 36, pages
269 to 285).
A
pterostilbene expert at the Agricultural Research Service's Natural
Products Utilization Research Laboratory, Oxford, Miss., collaborated
in the cytochrome P450 work with medical researchers based in Poland.
Earlier
tests directed by the U.S. team showed that pterostilbene can help
lower cholesterol in laboratory animals, and that the compound is
present in many types of berries.
For
details, contact: Agnes
M. Rimando,
(662) 915-1037; USDA-ARS Natural
Products Utilization Research Laboratory,
Oxford, Miss.
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