GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A
Brazilian berry (Acai
berry) popular in health food contains
antioxidants that
destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent
University of Florida study, one of the first to
investigate the fruit's purported benefits.
Published today in the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the
study showed extracts from
acai (ah-SAH'-ee)
berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to
86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen
Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
"Acai
berries are already considered one of the
richest fruit sources of antioxidants." Talcott said.
"This study was an important step toward learning
what people may gain from using beverages, dietary
supplements or other products made with acai
berries." (To purchase
Acai berry juice with
Transfer Factor click
here)
He cautioned that the
study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to
show whether compounds found in acai berries
could prevent leukemia in people.
"This was only a
cell-culture model and we don't want to give anyone
false hope." Talcott said. "We are encouraged
by the findings, however. Compounds that show
good activity against cancer cells in a model system
are most likely to have beneficial effects in our
bodies."
Other fruits, including
grapes, guavas and mangoes, contain
antioxidants
shown to kill cancer cells in similar studies, he
said. Experts are uncertain how much effect
antioxidants have on cancer cells in the human body,
because factors such as nutrient absorption,
metabolism and the influence of other biochemical
processes may influence the antioxidants' chemical
activity.
Another UF study, slated
to conclude in 2006, will investigate the effects of
acai's antioxidants on healthy human subjects, Talcott said. The study will determine how
well the compounds are absorbed into the blood, and
how they may affect blood pressure, cholesterol
levels and related health indicators. So far,
only fundamental research has been done on acai
berries, which contain at least 50 to 75 as-yet
unidentified compounds.
"One reason so little is
known about acai berries is that they're perishable
and are traditionally used immediately after
picking." he said. "Products made with
processed acai berries have only been available for
about five years, so researchers in many parts of
the world have had little or no opportunity to study
them."
Talcott said UF is one
of the first institutions outside Brazil with
personnel studying acai berries. Besides Talcott, UF's acai research team includes Susan
Percival, a professor with the food science and
human nutrition department, David Del Pozo-Insfran,
a doctoral student with the department and Susanne
Mertens-Talcott, a postdoctoral associate with the
pharmaceutics department of UF's College of
Pharmacy.
Acai berries are
produced by a palm tree known scientifically as Euterpe
Oleracea, common in floodplain areas of the
Amazon River, Talcott said. When ripe, the
berries are dark purple and about the size of a
blueberry. They contain a thin layer of edible
pulp surrounding a large seed.
Historically, Brazilians
have used acai berries to treat digestive disorders
and skin conditions, he said. Current
marketing efforts by retail merchants and Internet
businesses suggest acai products can help consumers
lose weight, lower cholesterol and gain energy.
(To purchase Acai berry
juice with Transfer Factor click
here)
"A lot of claims are being made, but most of them
haven't been tested scientifically." Talcott said.
"We are just beginning to understand the complexity
of the acai berry and its health-promoting effects."
In the current UF study,
six different chemical extracts were made from acai
fruit pulp, and each extract was prepared in seven
concentrations.
Four of the extracts
were shown to kill significant numbers of
leukemia
cells when applied for 24 hours. Depending on
the extract and concentration, anywhere from about
35 percent to 86 percent of the cells died.
(To purchase Acai berry
juice with Transfer Factor click
here)
