December 22, 2003 – A molecule extracted from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) would stop the growth of various cancers, including breast and prostate.
The discovery takes on its importance when we know that these two cancers are the most common, respectively, in women and men. About 20,000 cases of each type are identified each year in Canada.
The molecule, called BHP, was identified by a team of American researchers. It is a polyphenol, the same type of molecules that would give their anti-cancer properties to green tea and wine.
Scientists have tested its effectiveness in human breast and prostate cancer cells in laboratory tests. They found that BHP deactivates a protein essential for the unbridled growth that characterizes cancer cells. The effect of the molecule would also be very specific, which would minimize unwanted side effects.
Licorice has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. Even today, its root is used in the composition of products used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat cancer.
The results of this study are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
From eurekalert.org; 22 December 2003.
