Observations placeholder
Black pepper and cancer
Identifier
005397
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Quite a number of the chemicals in black pepper are cytotoxic – meaning they are toxic to cells. Treating cells with a cytotoxic compound can result in a variety of cell fates. The cells may undergo necrosis, in which they lose membrane integrity and die rapidly as a result of cell lysis. The cells can stop actively growing and dividing (a decrease in cell viability), or the cells can activate a genetic program of controlled cell death (apoptosis). Now even the most brave recreational drug user is going to think twice about this bit of news.
But, the cytotoxicity of some of the chemicals in piper nigrum is being put to use in fighting cancer, so a positive use from a negative effects………………
A description of the experience
Nat Prod Commun. 2010 Aug;5(8):1253-7.
Inhibitory effects of black pepper (Piper nigrum) extracts and compounds on human tumor cell proliferation, cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation and nuclear transcription factor-kappa-B - Liu Y, Yadev VR, Aggarwal BB, Nair MG; Bioactive Natural Products and Phytoceuticals, Department of Horticulture and National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan USA.
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) and hot pepper (Capsicum spp.) are widely used in traditional medicines. Although hot Capsicum spp. extracts and its active principles, capsaicinoids, have been linked with anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, whether black pepper and its active principle exhibit similar activities is not known.
In this study, we have evaluated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of extracts and compounds from black pepper ……….... The human cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activities of piperine and alklyl amides in Capsicum and black pepper were dose dependant. ……... The extracts of black pepper at 200 microg/mL and its compounds at 25 microg/mL inhibited ……. cancer cells proliferation by 3.5-86.8%. Overall, these results suggest that black pepper and its constituents like hot pepper, exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activities.
PMID:
20839630