生物谷报道：美国康奈尔大学的最新研究，苹果皮具有良好的抗癌防癌功效。，每天吃一个苹果的果皮可达到预防癌症的效果。研究的主要负责人华裔研究人员刘瑞海（Rui Hai Liu，音译）和同事发现苹果中几种化合物具有抗人类肝癌、结肠癌和乳腺癌细胞增殖的活性。这项研究的结果公布在本月的Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry的网络版上。
康奈尔之前的研究发现，实验室中，苹果不但能抵御癌细胞，而且还能减少大鼠乳腺肿瘤的数量和尺寸。康奈尔的研究人员推测，三萜系化合物可以起到更多的抗癌功能。
刘博士指出，苹果中的一些化合物具有强大的抗癌功能，能对付不同类型的癌细胞系，值得进一步研究。
通过与康奈尔博士后何祥久（Xiangjiu He，音译）合作，刘副教授分析了230磅的红苹果皮，并分离出了一些化合物。在确定了皮中的这些有潜力的化合物的结构后，研究人员又在实验室中检测了这些纯化合物的抗癌细胞活性。研究人员表示，如果每天吃5到12个水果何蔬菜将能降低慢性疾病的风险。
大家都知道有一句英语谚语：一天一个苹果，医生远离我（An apple a day keeps the doctor away）。不过，科学家的最新研究让这句话有了一个更精确的版本：一天一条苹果皮，癌症不会来找你（An apple peel a day might keep cancer at bay）。苹果皮中的三萜化合物对人类肝癌、乳腺癌和结肠癌细胞具有潜在的抗增殖活性。同时，这些化合物也能够部分解释“一天一个苹果，病痛远离我”的原因。
所以，在保证洗干净的前提下，苹果还是连皮吃吧。
原始出处:
J. Agric. Food Chem., 55 (11), 4366 -4370, 2007. 10.1021/jf063563o S0021-8561(06)03563-1
Web Release Date: May 8, 2007 Copyright © 2007 American Chemical Society
Triterpenoids Isolated from Apple Peels Have Potent Antiproliferative Activity and May Be Partially Responsible for Apple's Anticancer Activity
Xiangjiu He and Rui Hai Liu*
Department of Food Science and Institute of Comparative and Environmental Toxicology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
Received for review December 8, 2006. Revised manuscript received March 26, 2007. Accepted March 27, 2007. This work was supported in part by No. 06A127 from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the Ngan Foundation.
Abstract:
Bioactivity-guided fractionation of apple peels was used to determine the chemical identity of bioactive constituents. Thirteen triterpenoids were isolated, and their chemical structures were identified. Antiproliferative activities of the triterpenoids against human HepG2 liver cancer cells, MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and Caco-2 colon cancer cells were evaluated. Most of the triterpenoids showed high potential anticancer activities against the three human cancer cell lines. Among the compounds isolated, 2-hydroxyursolic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-{[(2E)-3-phenyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl]oxy}olean-12-en-28-oic acid, and 3-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-2-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid showed higher antiproliferative activity toward HepG2 cancer cells. Ursolic acid, 2-hydroxyursolic acid, and 3-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-2-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid exhibited higher antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cancer cells. All triterpenoids tested showed antiproliferative activity against Caco-2 cancer cells, especially 2-hydroxyursolic acid, maslinic acid, 2-hydroxy-3-{[(2E)-3-phenyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl]oxy}olean-12-en-28-oic acid, and 3-trans-p-coumaroyloxy-2-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, which displayed much higher antiproliferative activities. These results showed the triterpenoids isolated from apple peels have potent antiproliferative activity and may be partially responsible for the anticancer activities of whole apples.
Keywords: Apple; apple peels; phytochemicals; phenolics; triterpenoids; breast cancer; antiproliferative activities; MCF-7 cells; cancer cells
