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| Image credit: Wikimedia commons |
Researchers are testing bioactive compounds in rice bran
in hopes that it may prevent cancer as well as cancer recurrence.
Scientists say rice bran contains polyphenols that could
thwart cancer include ferulic
acid, tricin, β-sitosterol, γ-oryzanol, tocotrienols/tocopherols, and phytic acid.
Elizabeth P. Ryan, PhD,
Colorado University Cancer Center investigator, assistant professor in the
Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences at the CSU Animal
Cancer Center, and the review’s senior author explained in a press release, “There’s a delicate balance of bioactive
components in rice bran that together show anti-cancer activity including the
ability to inhibit cell proliferation, alter cell cycle progression and
initiate the programmed cell death known as apoptosis in malignant cells.”
What that means is that rice
bran could stop the spread of cancer and destroy what’s already there – much like
chemotherapy goals, but without the toxicity.
The goal of from the
researchers is to find out exactly what compounds in rice bran inhibit cancer
cell growth.
Ryan explains studies in
animal models show rice brand works within cells as well as around them to keep
them healthy.
One of the challenges is
to isolate the best anti-cancer compounds from over 100,000 varieties of rice
bran that exist.
Ryan says because rice bran
is inexpensive it offers a dietary approach for fighting colon cancer that is
easily accessible worldwide.
The study authors write, “…dietary rice bran as a practical food-derived chemopreventive
agent has the potential to have a significant impact on cancer prevention for
the global population” because “…bioactive components protect against tissue
damage through the scavenging of free radicals and the blocking of chronic
inflammatory responses.”
The next step is to test
rice bran taken as a prescription in colon cancer survivors in ongoing clinical
trials. Rice bran could be good protection from cancer because it keeps cells healthy and blocks inflammation that is linked to a variety of diseases.
Source:
University of Colorado
Cancer Center
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