Chemoprevention

Antioxidant activity | Inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases | Antiplatelet activity | Interaction with collagen, phospholipids and proteoglycans | Effect on arteriolar vasomotion | Chemoprevention | Cohort studies

Recent investigations⁽¹⁾ on the chemopreventive properties of bilberry anthocyanins have shown that Mirtoselect^® can reduce, in a dose-dependent way, the development of intestinal adenoma in rodents. The activity was related to a high concentration of anthocyanins in the target organ, sharply contrasting with very low systemic concentrations detected in plasma. A possible mechanism of action has been recently proposed⁽²⁾ based on the interaction of anthocyanins with several tyrosine kinases (RTKs) believed to play a crucial role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Mirtoselect^® showed a broad sperctum tyrosin-kinase inhibitory activity, suggesting potential chemopreventive activity. According to these data, a clinical pilot study on Mirtoselect^® for colorectal cancer chemoprevention was carried out on 25 colorectal cancer patients scheduled to undergo resection of primary tumor or liver metastasis⁽³⁾. The patients received 1.4, 2.4 or 5.6 grams of Mirtoselect^® daily for 7 days before surgery. In tumor tissues, proliferation decreased by 7% compared to pre-intervention values. Urine, blood and target tissue levels of anthocyanins were also measured, and results are consistent to the levels detected in rodent model.

1. Thomasset S, Berry DP, Cai H, West K, Marczylo TH, Marsden D, Brown K, Dennison A, Garcea G, Miller A, Hemingway D, Steward WP, Gescher AJ, "Pilot study of oral anthocyanins for colorectal cancer chemoprevention", Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Jul;2(7):625-33.
2. Teller N, Thiele W, Marczylo TH, Gescher AJ, Boettler U, Sleeman J, Marko D., "Suppression of the kinase activity of receptor tyrosine kinases by anthocyanin-rich mixtures extracted from bilberries and grapes", J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Apr 22;57(8):3094-101.
3. Cooke D, Schwarz M, Boocock D, Winterhalter P, Steward WP, Gescher AJ, Marczylo TH., "Effect of cyanidin-3-glucoside and an anthocyanin mixture from bilberry on adenoma development in the ApcMin mouse model of intestinal carcinogenesis--relationship with tissue anthocyanin levels", Int J Cancer. 2006 Nov 1;119(9):2213-20.

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