Luteolin in celery, broccoli lowers risk of triple-negative breast cancer

New Delhi: Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables has been linked to a lower risk of developing various illnesses, including heart disease and cancer. Fruits and vegetables, which are an excellent source of many vitamins, minerals and fibre, hold a vital part of a healthy diet.

For long, certain vegetables like celery and broccoli have been considered anti-cancer foods.

Researchers from the University of Missouri suggest that eating herbs such as thyme, parsley, and vegetables like celery and broccoli can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

They said Luteolin, a natural compound, found in such herbs and vegetables, could lower the risk of developing metastasis originating from triple-negative breast cancer in women.

Triple-negative breast cancers are cancer cells that lack three receptors targeted by current chemotherapy regimens.

“Because of this lack of receptors, common cancer drugs can't 'find' the cells, and doctors must treat the cancer with extremely aggressive and highly toxic treatment strategies," said Salman Hyder from the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center.

Their findings indicate that the non-toxic plant compound Luteolin has been proven effective against several types of cancer.

"Women with this type of breast cancer also frequently develop metastatic lesions that originate from drug-resistant cells. Therefore, safer therapeutic therapies that are more effective are being sought for this deadly type of cancer in women," Hyder added.

Using human triple-negative breast cancer cells grown in mice, the team tested Luteolin to determine if it could suppress metastasis.

In the first series of tests, they found that Luteolin inhibited the metastasis of triple-negative cancer in the lungs of affected mice.

"Mice exposed to human triple-negative breast cancer cells experienced significantly reduced metastastic growth in their lungs after being treated with Luteolin," Hyder stated."In almost every case, the mice also saw no weight loss, which means luteolin has no toxic effects; this plant compound is both safe and effective," Hyder explained.

They found that Luteolin inhibits that migration and can also kill cancer cells.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), breast cancer is the top cancer among women both in the developed and the developing world. Breast cancer is also the most common form of cancer among Indian women, surpassing cervical cancer as the leading cause of death of all cancer-related deaths.

(With ANI inputs)