They Discovered How Fruits And Vegetables Protect Against Colorectal Cancer!

A study that originally aimed to determine the protective effect of aspirin in preventing colorectal cancer accidentally found a mechanism that may explain how fruits and vegetables reduce the same risk. Is a new era of prophylactic anticancer drugs coming?

Worldwide, more than one million people  are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year, the third most common cause of death. Among the risk factors associated with the disease are increased consumption of red meat (pork, beef, lamb, etc.), decreased consumption of fiber, consumption of grilled products, obesity and overweight, etc.

Depending on the location of colorectal cancer, it may have binary symptoms - with a predominant anemic or gastroenterological syndrome . When the right colon is affected, the disease manifests itself mainly with anemic syndrome, due to the larger diameter of the lumen. Conversely, when the left colon and rectum are affected, the disease manifests itself with pronounced gastroenterological symptoms, due to the narrower lumen of the intestine and difficulty in the passage.

A new study shows the potential of a flavonoid metabolite to prevent carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. This compound is found in fruits and vegetables - apples, carrots, onions, blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit and many others.

Prof. Dr. Jayarama Gunaje and a team from South Dakota State University initially studied the preventive and protective properties of aspirin for colorectal cancer, but accidentally discovered new protecting mechanisms of flavonoids for the same disease. The results of the study are published in the journal Cancers . Previous studies have also shown an inhibitory effect on carcinogenesis, but the mechanism itself has not been elucidated .

Prof. Dr. Gunage and his team are studying the anti-cancer properties of aspirin in their laboratory - for decades, acetylsalicylic acid has been known to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The team tested the effects of the metabolites of aspirin and other derivatives of acetylsalicylic acid, and in the process the team found that the compound 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4,6-THBA) - compound is obtained as a result of bacterial fermentation of flavonoids in the gastrointestinal tract, inhibit enzymesinvolved in cell division. Prof. Dr. Gunage also notes that 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid is also contained in wine due to the fermentation of flavonoids in grapes. In subsequent experiments with human cell colonies, the team found that the 2,4,6-THBA compound exerted its inhibitory effect on cells that express the SLC5A8 membrane transporter. Thus, the initial focus of the study on the effect of aspirin shifted to the effect of flavonoids.

Prof. Gunage notes that there are a number of antitumor drugs, but there are no ones that prevent carcinogenesis . Neoplasms have been the second leading cause of death worldwide in recent years , and statistics appear to be deepening. That is why it is important to establish drugs that not only have an antitumor effect, but also prevent carcinogenesis.

A major drawback of the study is that the properties of the isolated compound have not been tested in animal models. However, the establishment of the inhibitory potential of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid is essential. Another important point is the role of the intestinal microbiome in the breakdown of flavonoids and the production of 2,4,6-THBA. In the future, researchers plan to isolate the bacterial species that carry out the fermentation. This would help to create combined supplementary products containing flavonoids together with certain probiotic bacteria to fully metabolize the added flavonoids.

Last but not least, the new study shows the specific suspected mechanism of the carcinogenic effect of fruits and vegetables in the diet.