Researchers found that extracts from Hass avocados
kill or stop the growth of pre-cancerous cells that lead
to oral cancer. Hass avocados are year-round fruits
known for their distinctive bumpy skin that turns from
green to purplish-black as they ripen.
While there are more than 500 varieties of avocados
grown worldwide, Hass avocados are the most readily
available at supermarkets nationwide. Similar research
has not been conducted on other varieties of avocados.
Lead author Steven M. D'Ambrosio, a member of the
molecular carcinogenesis and chemoprevention program
at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center, also
wrote an accompanying editorial for the journal,
discussing the cancer-fighting potential of fruits and
vegetables. D'Ambrosio collaborated with Haiming Ding
in Ohio State's College of Medicine.
Studies have long associated the consumption of
fruits and vegetables with a reduced risk for various
types of human cancer. The protective effect is
attributed to the high levels of phytonutrients or
phytochemicals plant compounds thought to have
health-protecting qualities that are often found in
dark colored fruits and vegetables.
As far as we know, this is the first study of
avocados and oral cancer, says D'Ambrosio. We think
these phytochemicals either stop the growth of
precancerous cells in the body or they kill the
precancerous cells without affecting normal cells. Our
study focuses on oral cancer, but the findings might
have implications for other types of cancer. These are
preliminary findings, and more research is needed.
D'Ambrosio, who collaborated with researchers in
Ohio State's College of Pharmacy, found that
phytochemicals extracted from avocados target multiple
signaling pathways and increase the amount of reactive
oxygen within the cells, leading to cell death in
pre-cancerous cell lines. But the phytochemicals did
not harm normal cells.
These studies suggest that individual and a
combination of phytochemicals from the avocado fruit
may offer an advantageous dietary strategy in cancer
prevention, says Ding, who is a member of the
division of radiobiology, department of radiology.
Avocados are chock-full of beneficial antioxidants
and phytonutrients, including vitamin C, folate,
vitamin E, fiber and unsaturated fats. They are
naturally sodium-free, contain no trans fats and are
low in saturated fat, making them a healthy addition
to any diet, D'Ambrosio says.
The future is ripe for identifying fruits and
vegetables and individual phytonutrients with cancer
preventing activity, writes D'Ambrosio in the
journal's editorial. As we identify the molecular
mechanisms and targets by which individual
phytonutrients prevent cancer, we may be able to
improve upon nature by formulating phytonutrient
cocktails for specific cancers and individual
susceptibility and risk.
Other Ohio State researchers involved in the study
are Young-Won Chin in the College of Pharmacy and A.
Douglas Kinghorn in the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The California Avocado Commission provided the Hass
avocados for the research.
