Since the Middle Ages, camomile has produced an array of health benefits. Medieval monks, for instance, prescribed people to lie down on camomile flower beds to reduce their depression and stimulate relaxation. Relaxation alone has boosted health in heart patients, but what is it inside the camomile tea that could play a major role in fighting cancer?
Camomile tea, parsley and celery are the most abundant sources of apigenin but it is also found in many fruit and vegetables common in a Mediterranean diet.
"We know we need to eat healthfully, but in most cases we don't know the actual mechanistic reasons for why we need to do that," said Andrea Doseff, associate professor of internal medicine and molecular genetics at Ohio State and a co-lead author of the study, in a statement. "We see here that the beneficial effect on health is attributed to this dietary nutrient affecting many proteins. In its relationship with a set of specific proteins, apigenin re-establishes the normal profile in cancer cells. We think this can have great value clinically as a potential cancer-prevention strategy."
Researchers also showed that apigenin binds with an estimated 160 proteins in the human body, a far better reach than pharmaceutical drugs that target one molecule.
The researchers, whose findings are published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, likened their technique to ‘fishing’ for the human proteins in cells that interact with small molecules available in the diet. Prof Doseff said: "You can imagine all the potentially affected proteins as tiny fishes in a big bowl. We introduce this molecule to the bowl and effectively lure only the truly affected proteins based on structural characteristics that form an attraction. We know this is a real partnership because we can see that the proteins and apigenin bind to each other."
The scientists noted that with its multiple cellular targets, apigenin potentially offers a variety of additional benefits that may even occur over time.
Since apigenin is a plant-derived flavone, abundantly present in common fruits and vegetables, it is important to look to the produce section as a natural drug factory that not only protects against some of the so called horrific conditions, but rejuvenates overall health.
