A new study conducted by scientists shows that plums, which we frequently consume in daily life, are not just a source of vitamins.
According to Medianews.az with reference to Yeni Sabah, it has been determined that the polyphenols in this fruit have a strong effect against the development of lung cancer cells.
Researchers have identified purified plum polyphenols (PPP) as a strong agent against human lung cancer cells and highlighted quercitrin, a quercetin derivative, as the main active compound.
The study shows that plum polyphenols effectively stop the growth of lung cancer cells by stimulating programmed cell death.
In laboratory tests, the antioxidants obtained from plum demonstrated effectiveness in stopping the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells by stimulating apoptosis (cell suicide). Especially when applied at high concentrations, these polyphenols showed a significantly higher inhibition level compared to vitamin C. This indicates that certain bioactive compounds derived from fruits may play an important role in oncology and preventive nutrition.
The study also clarified the biological mechanism behind this effect. It was found that plum extract disrupts the PI3K/AKT/FOXO1 signaling pathway used by cancer cells for survival and proliferation. Polyphenols block the phosphorylation of the AKT protein, effectively inhibiting survival signals of cancer cells. These results show that plum polyphenols have significant potential as a functional food supplement for cancer protection or as an adjunct compound to enhance the effectiveness of conventional chemotherapy treatments.