VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Russia, have discovered two common ingredients that could prevent tumours. Now new evidence suggests their cancer fighting potential after Russian researchers obtained glaziovianin A from parsley and dill. The same chemical is currently harvested from the leaves of the Brazilian tree Ateleia glazioviana Baill and is an ‘antimitotic’ – meaning it inhibits the growth of tumours by disrupting the process of cell division or mitosis.

“Both improvement of existing therapies and search for innovative approaches are essential components of a quest to treat cancer. “Our combined team developed a simple method of producing glaziovianin A and its structural analogs – which inhibit the growth of human tumour cells – using feasible building blocks from nature,” said Professor Alexander Kiselev, at MIPT.

The scientists said the new cancer-treating method proposed is cheaper than the existing ones as it involves commonly available materials and also requires minimal number of steps in its synthesis. They hope glaziovianin A from parsley and dill could help develop new medicine that can be used as anti-cancer drugs in future. The study is published in the Journal of Natural Products.