Chemotherapy can be a double-edged sword: It can kill cancerous cells, unfortunately, at the expense of healthy ones (for example, bone marrow cells). Texas A&M scientists may have found a way to trigger the eradication of breast cancer cells without harming normal cells, with the help of organic, phenolic compounds found in plum and peach extracts.

Breast cancer cells (including the most aggressive kind) and normal cells were treated with extracts from two popular commercial varieties of both fruits: The Black Splendor plum and Rich Lady peach.

Specifically, the two phenolic acid compounds that eliminated cancer cells without harming normal cells -- neochlorogenic and chlorogenic -- are very common in fruits but found in far greater levels in peaches and plums, both stone fruits.

Makes you wonder if there's any chemical connection between the makeup of these phenolic acid compounds and the derivative of the herb feverfew that prevents resistance to tamoxifen, the go-to drug for breast cancer patients.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 57, No. 12, pp. 5219-5226, June 24, 2009

AgriLife News June 2, 2010