Kolkata, Jan 7
What do tea, turmeric and broccoli have in common? A lot, when it comes to an arsenal of certain chemicals found in them, called phytochemicals, that can be harnessed to combat cancer therapy side-effects in synergy with conventional anti-cancer drugs.
Chemotherapy is fraught with side-effects. Now Indian scientists have shown how certain naturally-occurring plant chemicals when used in combination with routine cancer drugs can actually lower the dosage of the medication, thereby minimising the after-effects.
Moreover, phytochemicals (plant chemicals) may increase the efficiency of the drugs, said Madhumita Roy, head of the Environmental Carcinogenesis and Toxicology Department at Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) here, who led the study.
"Our data suggest that treatment of cells with these phytochemicals in conjunction with chemotherapeutic drugs resulted in the same extent of cell killing at a much lower concentration of the drug," Roy told IANS.
Some examples of the plant-derived chemicals include curcumin found in turmeric, polyphenols found in tea - both green and black - and isothiocyanates that are common in cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, among others.
These agents, in tandem with anti-cancer drugs, Roy explained, reduce the levels of certain proteins (called tumour markers) which are elevated in cancer. This, in turn, sensitises the deadly cancer cells to opt for suicide - a process called apoptosis.
Besides fighting cancer, there is another side to these natural molecules: Phytochemicals can also play a key role in cancer prevention.
by:IANS