Washington, April 18 (ANI): Making cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, watercress, cabbage, and cauliflower a part of your daily diet may not be a bad idea, for US researchers have found that they contain chemicals that not only appear to be potent in hampering the growth of human prostate cancer cells, but also the formation of blood vessels that feed tumours.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute say that phenethyl-ITC (PEITC) chemicals are found in several cruciferous vegetables, and generated when vegetables are either cut or chewed.

They conducted an experiment on mice with these chemicals, and found them to be effective in stopping the human prostate cancer cells from growing in the animal. They also found that these chemicals may also curb the formation of blood vessels that feed tumours.

“The contribution of diet and nutrition to cancer risk, prevention and treatment has been a major focus of research in recent years because certain nutrients in vegetables and dietary agents appear to protect the body against diseases such as cancer,” said Dr. Shivendra Singh, lead investigator and professor of pharmacology and urology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

“From epidemiologic data, we know that increased consumption of vegetables reduces the risk for certain types of cancer, but now we are beginning to understand the mechanisms by which certain vegetables like broccoli may help our bodies fight cancer and other diseases,” he added.

The current study follows previous research that had demonstrated that that mice grafted with human prostate tumours that received a small amount of PEITC daily for 31 days had significantly reduced tumour size in comparison with the control group.

It shows that the treatment of cells in culture with PEITC leads to inhibition of angiogenesis, a process that plays an important role in the growth and spread of cancer by forming new blood vessels that pass oxygen and nutrients to tumour cells.

“Angiogenesis is a major issue in cancer metastases. Our results provide promising preliminary evidence that constituents of many edible cruciferous vegetables may slow down, or even halt, this process,” said Dr. Singh.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (ANI)