British researchers have found that an extract of the North American chokeberry can boost the effect of cancer therapy.
The researchers, from the University of Southampton and King’s College Hospital, London, tested a chokeberry extract on pancreatic cancer samples.
The study found that when the berry extract was used, together with a conventional chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine, more cancer cells died than when the drug was used alone. Normal cells appeared to be unaffected when tested this way.
The researchers have speculated that the polyphenols in the berries may reduce the number of cancer cells. However, they say their research is at an early stage. Bashir Lwaleed, a senior lecturer at Southampton University, told the BBC: “We need to do more research to understand how the chemotherapy and berry work together.
