Pectin, a water-soluble fiber found in fruit and vegetables that is commonly used in jam-making, may help to protect against cancer, say researchers.
Professor Vic Morris and colleagues from the Institute of Food Research in Britain found that a fragment of pectin binds to and inhibits galectin 3 (Gal3), a protein known to play a key role in all stages of cancer progression.
Studies such as the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation of Cancer) study have found that people who eat a high-fiber diet are less likely to develop cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, however until now researchers were uncertain as to exactly how fiber offered protection against cancer.
The researchers now plan to study how pectin can be taken up by the body and released in order to exert its effect upon cancer cells. It is hoped that the research may result in the development of functional foods containing added bioactive pectin.
Gunning AP, Bongaerts RJM, Morris VJ. Recognition of galactan components of pectin by galectin-3. FASEB. Published online before print October 2, 2008 as doi: 10.1096/fj.08-106617.
