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Are we on the verge of the announcement of another superfruit?

A report on a new study published in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry described the antimicrobial properties of pumpkin skin.

South Korean researchers at the Research Center for Proteineous Materials at Chosun University mashed pumpkin rinds and subjected the fungus Candida albicans to several proteins found in the extract.

They identified a protein (Pr-2, which might possibly stand for 'pumpkin rind 2") in the extract that strongly inhibited the growth of the Candida fungus, suggesting that it could be developed and used in anti-fungal therapy.

Candida causes vaginal yeast infections and diaper rash.

The scientists also noted that pumpkins have been used in traditional medicine and that 'the antibiotic effects of pumpkin have been analysed, along with its anti-diabetic, anti-hypertension, anti-tumour, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-mutagenic (prevention of genetic mutation) effects'.

Los Angeles Times

Labels: pumkin

# posted by Leo @ 8:42 PM 4 comments

How broccoli prevents heart attacks
A chemical in the vegetable can boost a natural defence mechanism that prevents arteries from clogging

Broccoli has long been thought to be good for your heart and now British scientists think they know why.

Researchers at Imperial College London have found evidence that a chemical in broccoli and other green leafy vegetables could boost a natural defence mechanism that protects arteries from clogging - the cause of heart attacks.

In a study funded by the British Heart Foundation charity and conducted on mice, the researchers found that sulforaphane - a compound occurring naturally in broccoli - could 'switch on' a protective protein which is inactive in parts of the arteries vulnerable to clogging.

'We know that vegetables are good for you, but, surprisingly, the molecular mechanisms of why they are good for you have remained unknown for many years,' said Dr Paul Evans of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College.

'This study provides a possible explanation for how green vegetable consumption can promote a healthy heart.'

Scientists already know that arteries do not clog up in a uniform way, but that there are bends and branches of blood vessels - where blood flow is disrupted or slower - which are much more prone to the build-up of fatty plaques that cause heart disease.

Dr Evans said his research found that in the more vulnerable areas, a normally protective protein known as Nrf2 is inactive.

'What our study showed was that sulforaphane can protect those regions by switching on the Nrf2,' he said.

The research, reported in the journal Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis And Vascular Biology, was conducted using purified sulforaphane, not broccoli. Researchers said the next step was to test the effect of the chemical as it is found in vegetables.

Reuters

Easy Broccoli & Rice Casserole Recipe : Adding Cheese Whiz for Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Labels: broccoli, prevent heart attack

# posted by Leo @ 8:32 PM 5 comments