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The Latest Ellagic Acid Research
Reports of research into Ellagic Acid are slowly starting to trickle down to the public from many different research institutes.
The most comprehensive source of up-to-date information of the world-wide research into Ellagic Acid is PubMed/MEDLINE provided by the National Library of Medicine. They have 645 published studies of "Ellagic Acid" listed as of May 2006.
The Washington Red Raspberry Commission has more than 100 studies listed; most of these are found in Pub Med.
Another compelling reference to Ellagic Acid is found in the American Cancer Society's guide "Complimentary and Alternative Cancer Methods Handbook".
In their book, the American Cancer Society also indicated that Ellagic Acid, "prevents the binding of carcinogens to DNA and strengthens connective tissue, which may keep cancer cells from spreading." Additionally, the American Cancer Society wrote that Ellagic Acid may "reduce heart disease, birth defects, and liver fibrosis and promote wound healing." They also pointed out that studies demonstrated Ellagic Acid inhibited tumor growth and protected against chromosome damage from radiation therapy.
The Medical University of South Carolina
One of the pioneers in cancer prevention is Dr. Daniel Nixon (see The Cancer Recovery Eating Plan, Times Books, NY 1994). Dr. Nixon's lab at the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC has examined the ability of Ellagic Acid to prevent colon and cervical cancers from developing.
Preliminary evidence generated by his team of researchers has indicated that Ellagic Acid can slow the proliferation of both human colon and cervical cancer cells grown in experimental systems outside the body.
These findings have led to the hypotheses that Ellagic Acid may be useful in humans susceptible to either of these two cancers. While not yet complete, clinical studies are in progress, and studies in women susceptible to cervical cancer are just beginning.
The colon trial will measure Ellagic Acid's ability to prevent the formation of colon polyps (which may be the precursor to colon cancer) and/or slow the growth of rapidly proliferating colon cells in human papilloma virus, which is responsible for this disease.
These clinical evaluations will be conducted at MUSC and the University of Madrid Medical School in Madrid, Spain.
Some of the data published by Dr. Nixon and his team at MUSC is presented here:
Following exposure to Ellagic Acid from red raspberries, human cervical cancer cells, infected with human papilloma virus (HVP), die within several days due to a process termed apoptosis.
Ellagic Acid causes the growth cycle arrest of cancer cells, thus inhibiting cell division (mitosis) and cellular proliferation.
Ellagic Acid from red raspberries prevents destruction of a cellular regulatory gene, by HPV oncogenes (genes responsible for cancer induction) in cervical cells (is regarded as the safeguard of normal cellular division and inactivated, abnormal cell division/proliferation ensues).
Similar protective effects were observed in breast, pancreas, esophageal, skin, colon and prostate cancer cells exposed to Ellagic Acid.
In summary, the data from Dr. Nixon's lab and other investigators indicates that Ellagic Acid:
1. Activates detoxifying enzymes in the liver resulting in the clearing of cancer-causing chemicals (mutagens) in the serum.
2. Prevents the binding of carcinogens to cellular DNA.
3. Serves as an antioxidant in the scavenging and clearance of highly destructive oxygen free radicals.
4. Induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancerous cells.
5. Stimulates the immune system for the destruction of cancerous cells.
Each of these attributes were found to be important in reducing the incidence of cancer in experimental models.
Finally, while the mechanism(s) are not yet known, research performed in Europe indicates that Ellagic Acid may also be useful in reducing the incidence of birth defects, promoting wound healing and limiting chemically induced liver fibrosis.
In addition, some investigators now believe that Ellagic Acid may also be useful in the prevention of heart disease.
Click here to read an article detailing some of the research as it pertains to cancer.
Research and education on phytochemicals and nutraceutical foods. Click here to read this study.
1. Atta UR, et al. New antioxidant and antimicrobial ellagic acid derivatives from Pteleopsis hylodendron. Planta Medica 2001;67:335-9.
2. Akiyama H, et al. Antibacterial action of several tannins against Staphylococcus aureus. J Antimicrob Chemother 2001;48:487-91.
3. Tanaka T, et al. Inhibitory effect of ellagic acid on N-2-fluorenylacetamide-induced liver carcinogenesis in male ACI/N rats. Jpn J Cancer Res 1988;79:1297-303.
4. Stoner GD, et al. Isothiocyanates and freeze-dried strawberries as inhibitors of esophageal cancer. Toxicol Sci 1999;52(2 Suppl):95-100.
5. Narayanan BA, et al. Interactive gene expression pattern in prostate cancer cells exposed to phenolic antioxidants. Life Sci 2002;70:1821-39.
6. Narayanan BA, Re GG. IGF-II down regulation associated cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cells exposed to phenolic antioxidant ellagic acid. Anticancer Res 2001;21:359-64.
7. Festa F, et al. Strong antioxidant activity of ellagic acid in mammalian cells in vitro revealed by the comet assay. Anticancer Res 2001;21:3903-8.
8. Siglin JC, et al. Effects of dietary phenethyl isothiocyanate, ellagic acid, sulindac and calcium on the induction and progression of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine-induced esophageal carcinogenesis in rats. Carcinogenesis 1995;16:1101-6.
9. Narayanan BA, et al. p53/p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression and its possible role in G1 arrest and apoptosis in ellagic acid treated cancer cells. Cancer Lett 1999;136:215-21.
10. Barch DH, Rundhaugen LM. Ellagic acid induces NAD(P)H:quinone reductase through activation of the antioxidant responsive element of the rat NAD(P)H:quinone reductase gene. Carcinogenesis 1994;15:2065-8.
11. Zhang Z, et al. Inhibition of liver microsomal cytochrome P450 activity and metabolism of the tobacco-specific nitrosamine NNK by capsaicin and ellagic acid. Anticancer Res 1993;13:2341-6.
12. Barch DH, et al. Dietary ellagic acid inhibits the enzymatic activity of CYP1A1 without altering hepatic concentrations of CYP1A1 or CYP1A1 mRNA. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1994;201:1477-82.
13. Boukharta M, Jalbert G, Castonguay A. Biodistribution of ellagic acid and dose-related inhibition of lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice. Nutr Cancer 1992;18:181-9.
14. Doyle B, Griffiths LA. The metabolism of ellagic acid in the rat. Xenobiotica 1980;10:247-56.
To sum up all the current research regarding "How does Ellagic Acid" work?" is this quote we found:
"Ellagic Acid acts as a scavenger to "bind" cancer-causing chemicals, making them inactive. It inhibits the ability of other chemicals to cause mutations in bacteria. In addition, Ellagic Acid from red raspberries prevents binding of carcinogens to DNA, and reduces the incidence of cancer in cultured human cells exposed to carcinogens."
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