Cancer
Carotenoid extract from Chlorella ellipsoidea may prevent cancer
By Sue Mueller
Dec 1, 2008 - 10:53:21 AM

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 Monday Dec 1 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Researchers in South Korea suggested that carotenoids from marine Chlorella ellipsoidea and freshwater Chlorella vulgaris effectively may be used to prevent human cancer.

The main carotenoid from C. ellipsoidea was violaxanthing with two minor xanthophylls namely antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin, and the carotenoid from C. vulgaris was almost entirely lutein, the researchers found.

Cha KH and colleagues found that both semipurified extracts of C ellipsoidea and C. vulgaris inhibited HCT116 cancer cell growth in a dose-dependent manner.   Both when used together enhanced apoptosis, programmed cell death that is missing in cancer cells.

They also found that C. ellipsoidea extract was 2.5 times more effective than C. vulgaris extract at inducing apoptotic effect.

The authors wrote "These results indicate that bioactive xanthophylls of C. ellipsoidea might be useful functional ingredients in the prevention of human cancers."

The study was published in the Oct 23, 2008 issue of Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a journal published by the American Chemical Society.