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Dehydrated tomatoes 'could target prostate cancer'

29/05/2008

A form of tomato paste could be the key to the vegetable's prostate cancer-fighting potential, scientists claim.

Studies have suggested that tomato products could protect against prostate cancer but it has been unclear what the exact mechanisms for this effect are.

Now researchers at the University of Missouri argue that FruHis, an organic carbohydrate present in dehydrated tomato products, exerts a strong protective effect.

Publishing their findings in the journal Cancer Research, the scientists say they warrant human trials.

They fed groups of rats who had been injected with prostate cancer-causing chemicals a control diet or a diet that included tomato paste, tomato powder or tomato paste plus additional FruHis.

Animals fed the tomato paste plus FruHis diet had the longest survival from cancer at 51 weeks compared with 50 weeks in the tomato powder group; 45 weeks in the tomato paste alone group; and 40 weeks in the control group.

Prostate tumours were found in ten per cent of the rats that had been given a combination of tomato paste and FruHis, compared with 30 per cent of animals in the tomato powder group; 25 per cent in the tomato paste alone group; and 60 per cent in the control group.

The researchers also found that FruHis in a concentrated form protected against DNA damage known to lead to prostate cancer.

When combined with lycopene, which is contained in tomatoes, FruHis stopped cancerous cell growth more than 98 per cent of the time.

"Before this study, researchers attributed the protective effect of tomatoes to ascorbic acid, carotenoids, or phenolic compounds," said Dr Valeri Mossine.

"FruHis may represent a novel type of potential dietary antioxidant. Experiments like these suggest that a combination of FruHis and lycopene should be investigated as a potential therapeutic anti-tumour agent, not just a prevention strategy."

Although the researchers cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from the animal study, Dr Mossine said: "The result may introduce an additional intrigue into an ongoing dispute over the beneficial effects of dietary lycopene and tomato products in lowering the risk of prostate cancer.

"Human trials are certainly warranted."