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25 April 2005
Chili And Broccoli Potent Cancer Fighters 
Two new studies suggest that broccoli and red chili peppers provide a cancer-fighting benefit by slowing or preventing the growth of cancerous tumor cells. The findings from the studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Anaheim, California. "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," said Sanjay K. Srivastava, the study's lead investigator. "The contribution of diet and nutrition to cancer risk, prevention and treatment has been a major focus of research in recent years because certain nutrients in vegetables and dietary agents appear to protect the body against diseases such as cancer." The first study looked at the chemotherapeutic potential of capsaicin, the "hot" ingredient in red chili pepper that is believed to be associated with antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, and found that it exhibited anticancer activity against pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers with an extremely poor prognosis. Srivastava and colleagues treated human pancreatic cells with capsaicin and found that it disrupted the mitochondrial function, which induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the cancerous cells without affecting normal pancreatic cells. "Our results demonstrate that capsaicin is a potent anticancer agent, induces apoptosis in cancer cells and produces no significant damage to normal pancreatic cells, indicating its potential use as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer," said Srivastava. In the second study, Srivastava and colleagues examined the therapeutic benefits of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a constituent of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, on ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer, one of the leading causes of gynecologic cancer-related deaths among women, is often detected at an advanced stage, making it difficult to treat successfully. In the study, ovarian cancer cells were exposed to PEITC for 24 hours, which resulted in significant inhibition of the protein expression of epidermal growth factor receptor. Importantly, the concentrations of PEITC used in the study were at levels that can be achieved through dietary intake.
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