Ratna Ray, professor in the department of pathology at Saint Louis University and lead researcher, said the extracts from bitter gourd showed promise in killing breast cancer cells and preventing them from multiplying.
She said the effects of the bitter gourd extract took her by surprise.
"To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the effect of bitter gourd extract on cancer cells," said Ray. "Our result was encouraging. We have shown that bitter gourd extract significantly induces death in breast cancer cells and decreases their growth and spread."
Ray said she had decided to study the impact of bitter gourd extract on breast cancer cells because research had shown the substance lowered blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Bitter gourd extract was commonly used as a folk medicine to treat diabetes in China and India, she said.
Ray conducted her research using human breast cancer cells in a controlled lab setting. The next step, she says, is to test the extract in an animal model. If those results are positive,
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