Contained in common vegetables such as celery and parsley, apigenin could be used to treat breast cancer, the University of Missouri website says.
Scientists there showed that apigenin caused the shrinkage of breast tumors, a type whose growth was stimulated by a synthetic hormone administered to women to relieve symptoms associated with menopause.
The cells of the deadly, rapidly growing human breast cancer known as BT-474 were transplanted into a special strain of mice. Parts of the mice were administered medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), which is used frequently after the menopause. The control group did not receive the MPA.
Parts of the mice receiving MPA were also injected with apigenin. Under her influence, the tumors not only did not grow in size, but even decreased in size, while the remaining mice receiving MPA (but not apigenin) grew rapidly.
The chemical mechanism by which apigenin works is unclear. However, it is known to stimulate tumor cell death, inhibit their multiplication, and reduce the expression of genes associated with tumor enlargement. In mice given apigenin, the blood vessels that nourished the tumors were also smaller in diameter, making it difficult to grow. Administration of apigenin did not cause any visible side effects
According to the authors, it will not be easy to find a sponsor for human research – firstly, the exact mechanism of action of apigenin has not been identified, and secondly – pharmaceutical companies are not eager to finance work on substances that can be easily obtained from common vegetables.