A patent-pending compound isolated from fresh blackberries may inhibit the expression of genes associated with cancer-promoting agents.

A patent-pending compound isolated from fresh blackberries may inhibit the expression of genes associated with cancer-promoting agents. The purified compound, cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), inhibited tumors from growing and spreading when used in animal test models. C3G may become a key natural ingredient in new products formulated for their anti-cancer properties. C3G is among a series of plant chemicals that are a subclass of flavonoids--water-soluble plant pigments known for their antioxidative and antimicrobial effects. Researchers tested mice that had skin tumors. In one group, they found a significant reduction in the number and size of skin tumors among the mice that had been supplemented with C3G, when compared to those that had not been supplemented.

In another experimental model with immune system-suppressed mice, the researchers studied lung cancer cells because of their relatively high tendency to spread to other organs. They found that the purified blackberry compound not only significantly reduced the amount of cancer cell growth in the mice, but also inhibited the spread of the cancer cells to other organs.

Contact: Shiow Wang, USDA-ARS, Fruit Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Building 010A, Room 238, Beltsville, MD 20705. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. Email: [e-mail].