Strawberry fields for...fighting cancer
Scientists at the Institute of Food Research in the UK have begun
work to identify compounds in strawberries responsible for
inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. Their aim? To develop new
varieties that lock in such anticarcinogenic compounds.
Scientists at the UK Institute of Food Research (IFR) have begun work to identify the compounds in strawberries responsible for inhibiting the growth of cancer cells with the aim of developing new varieties in which the anticarcinogenic compounds are enhanced.
The research, carried out by a team led by Professor Richard Mithen, head of Plant Foods for Health Protection at IFR, is part of a long term project, and one of many IFR projects analysing the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. The research is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The wild ancestors of the most commonly cultivated strawberry today, Fragaria ananassa, can be white, yellow, and taste like pineapples. As such the IFR says it will study both wild and cultivated varieties, and is currently growing white and pale yellow strawberries as well as red.
"The modern strawberry is just one of hundreds of varieties cultivated worldwide. There are also about twenty wild species. They all have different properties - visible in the size, shape and colour of the fruit, or the size and abundance of flowers.
The aim of our project is to identify the properties that play a role in inhibiting carcinogenesis," said Mithen.
One of the strawberry chemicals that may play a role against cancer is ellagic acid. Strawberries and raspberries are the main dietary source of ellagic acid in the west, say the scientists.
Research by Dr Yannick Ford at Horticulture Research International has highlighted the variation in ellagic acid content between varieties, with some white-fruited strawberries revealing particularly high levels.
