Tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes could one day help in the fight against cancer

IN a recent meta-analysis, scientists highlight the potential cancer-protective effects of nutrients found in certain plants, such as tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes.

Led by a team of researchers from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, and published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, this research reviews the potential of the Solanaceae family of plants (which include potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants) as potential cancer treatments, focusing on the alkaloids they are able to produce to protect themselves from parasites.

Specifically, the researchers focused their attention on five types of naturally occurring compounds from the glycoalkaloid family found in Solanaceae plants.

In the course of their research, the scientists found that, in the right dosage, glycoalkaloids have the potential to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and neutralize them, without the risk of damaging DNA or promoting the development of future tumors.

"Therapeutic compounds can be applied separately or in combination with other drugs to increase the efficiency of cancer therapy," explain the study authors.

This is a potentially promising avenue of exploration, since a large part of the current challenge for research in the fight against cancer involves finding treatments capable of neutralizing cancer cells without damaging the patient's healthy cells (something that treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy are not able to do).

"Taken together, although the effects of glycoalkaloids on cells have been intensively studied, the precise mechanisms of their action in organisms remain to be elucidated.

More research needs to be conducted to explore new, more selective, and less toxic cancer therapies and improve the effectiveness of applied treatment methods because cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide," conclude the study authors.