Palm oil kills breast cancer cells

SINGAPORE, Dec 1 – Scientists in Singapore have discovered a natural compound in palm oil that can kill breast cancer cells.
The compound, called gamma-tocotrienol, which was extracted in its natural form from palm oil, demonstrated powerful cancer-killing properties, according to findings by Davos Life Science Singapore, a research and development centre.
In a statement today, the centre said the compound could be found at low levels in food sources such as palm oil, barley and rice bran.
The centre said its scientists partnered with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre in conducting the cancer study.
The study showed during in-vitro experiments, the natural compound demonstrated greater potency than ‘Docetaxel’, a commonly-used chemotherapy drug used to treat breast cancer.
This was the first tocotrienol study to identify the key upstream regulators that mediated breast cancer progression and invasion, the centre said.
The compound was also found to suppress the invasive ability of breast cancer cells to spread to other organs via metastasis.
While the doses of gamma-tocotrienol showed positive anti-cancer effects, they did not affect the normal cell functions of healthy cells, the study found.
Davos Life Science was set up in 2004, as a manufacturer that isolates and purifies natural tocotrienol, for use in supplements, functional food, personal care and pharmaceutical formulations. It has established the world’s largest R&D centre dedicated to tocotrienol and the world’s largest manufacturing facility for the production of natural tocotrienol. – Bernama