 A compound extracted from tangerine peel can kill certain human cancer cells, research shows. A team from Leicester School of Pharmacy found Salvestrol Q40 was turned into a toxic compound in cancer cells, destroying them.
Salvestrol 40 is a type of phytoalexin - a chemical produced by plants to repel attackers, such as insects or fungi. It is converted into a toxic compound by the P450 CYP1B1 enzyme, found in much higher levels in cancer cells. As a result, the researchers found, it proved to be 20 times more toxic to cancer cells than their healthy equivalents
Salvestrol Q40 is found at higher concentrations in tangerine peel, than in the flesh of the fruit. The researchers suggest the modern trend to throw away peel may have contributed to a rise in some cancers...
The full story published by the BBC
| 
