It is sometimes said that the best medicine is found in the ground. And it is certainly not these Polish doctors who will say the opposite. In a recent meta-analysis, scientists point to the potential protective effects against cancer of nutrients found in certain plants such as tomatoes, eggplants or potatoes.
Led by a team of researchers from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland and published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacologythe work reviews the potential of solanaceous plants (including potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant) as potential cancer treatments, by focusing on the alkaloids they are able to develop to protect themselves from parasites.
More specifically, the researchers focused their attention on five types of natural compounds from the family of glycoalkaloids found in nightshade plants. During their research, scientists found that with the right dosage, glycoalkaloids have the potential to iinhibit the growth of cancer cells and neutralize them, without the risk of damaging DNA or promoting the appearance of tumours.
“One of the main causes of death in the world”
“These therapeutic compounds could be applied separately or in combination with other drugs to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment,” explain the study authors.
A potentially promising avenue, insofar as a large part of the challenge of current research in the fight against cancer consists in finding a treatment capable of neutralizing the cancerous cells, without damaging the healthy cells of the patients (which drugs such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy are not able to provide).
“Overall, the precise mechanisms of glycoalkaloid action in organisms remain to be elucidated. Further research should be conducted to explore new, more selective and less toxic cancer therapies and improve the effectiveness of applied treatment methods, as cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide,” conclude the authors of the report. ‘study.