Scientists of Indian origin have revealed that an essential component present in the extracts of grape seed can combat cancerous cell found in the prostate cells.
This new study is based on the synthesis of B2G2, an active component present in the extracts of grape seed. The study revealed that this compound can cause cell death termed as “apoptosis” in prostate cancer cells and does not disturb the healthy cells in the body.
Alpna Tyagi, of University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said that they have detected similar anti cancer action by grape seed extract in the past but only now they have found out that B2G2 is that active ingredient that when synthesized can trigger a death mechanism in cancerous cells. This component when synthesized in huge quantities can cause it to deal with the cancer cells in prostate glands.
The research group has been involved in this study over a decade to detect the anticancer action of grape seed extract (GSE) under controlled conditions in the laboratory. Last time, they discovered the effectiveness of GSE in dealing with cancer cells and outlined its action mechanism.
Tyagi said that the research team had discovered this constituent present in the grape seed extract only recently. As the GSE possesses a complex mixture of polyphenols, the details about the components that were biologically active in nature were not clear so far.
The group of researchers also outlined that even though the component of grape seed extract B2G2 is highly active, it is a bit on the pricey side and takes a high time to isolate itself from the GSE. Therefore, they decided to synthesize it in the lab instead of purifying it from grape seed extract.
The success of this study according to the group was its ability to synthesize B2G2 in grams, which was reasonable and quicker than purifying it. The researchers also felt that it was difficult to get the approval of FDA for a trial, as they were not aware of the effects and mechanisms of the components. They also said that further work was held at the lab to get awareness about the mechanism of this effective component, as it would be highly helpful in future clinical studies. The results of the study were published in Nutrition and Cancer journal.
