[StBernard] Oysters could fight cancer

[Westley Annis]

Hmmmmm.I knew I loved Oysters for a reason!!  LOL

 

Oysters could fight cancer


Keith Magill
Executive Editor

Published: Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. 
Last Modified: Sunday, November 9, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. 

 

HOUMA -- Louisiana oysters contain a substance that could help prevent and
treat cancer, LSU researchers say.  Fat compounds called ceramides, found in
oysters as well as plants and other animals, are being used in clinical
trials to speed the healing process in cancer patients undergoing
chemotherapy.

 

"This is incredibly exciting," said Jack Losso, a researcher in the LSU
AgCenter Department of Food Science. "When we looked at cancer cells treated
with ceramides, their growth had been inhibited, and they were dying."

 

Losso said his research has found that ceramides in oysters can restrict
blood-vessel growth and development of breast-cancer cells in test tubes and
blood vessels in rats. By preventing the formation of blood vessels, the
substance keeps cancer cells from multiplying because they can't grow
without nutrients from the blood.

 

Breast-cancer cells come in two types: hormone-dependent and
hormone-independent, Losso said in a news release issued last week.
Hormone-dependent cells appear early, while hormone-independent cells appear
later and are more difficult to treat.

 

"They can grow on their own without hormone stimulation," he said of the
independent cells. "But when put in contact with ceramide, tumors begin
dying within 48 hours."

 

In lab rats treated with oyster ceramides, blood-vessel growth that
simulates cancer-cell growth and proliferation was reduced by 57 percent in
seven days. No toxicity to the animals was reported.

 

Although the rats received concentrated ceramide injections, the compound
can just as easily be taken orally in pill form, Losso said. Conceivably, an
oyster-rich diet could aid in cancer prevention.

 

"You could eat the oysters raw or cooked," Losso said. "But you can't grill
them with those popular counter-top grills that discard the fat. The
ceramide is in the oil, which is lost when you use a tilted grill."

 

Losso collects ceramide from oysters by blending the shellfish's meat and
extracting the lipid, or fat compound, with an organic solvent - the same
one used to extract oil from corn and soybeans. After the oil is extracted,
the ceramide is removed and concentrated.

 

Losso said the process is particularly effective because the solvent is
accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally safe.

 

"Ceramide is a novel way of treating cancer cells," said Losso, who pointed
out that the compound is also found in other marine animals, including
bivalves, jellyfish, abalone and menhaden.

 

Most ceramide now used is synthetic, based on cows' milk, Losso said.  "It's
similar to that found in oysters but with a different structure," he said.

 

The research could eventually yield benefits not only for cancer patients
but for the oyster industry in Louisiana and around the country. A trade
group called the National Fisheries Institute has already taken notice.

 

"The LSU work is an example of how seriously researchers take the role the
foods we eat play in cancer prevention," said Jennifer Wilmes, a registered
dietician with the group.

 

Louisiana produces more oysters than any state and all of the Gulf Coast
combined. The state harvests about 14 million pounds of oysters a year, 43
percent of the entire U.S. supply, according to the Louisiana Wildlife and
Fisheries Department.

 

In 2006, the state's oyster harvest was valued at $36 million, the agency's
latest data show. Plaquemines, with 140,000 acres, is the biggest producer.
It's followed by Terrebonne Parish, which has 2,200 leases covering about
92,000 acres. Lafourche ranks fourth, with about 550 leases across 23,500
acres.

 

Losso's work is funded through the Louisiana Sea Grant college program and
the LSU AgCenter.

 

~ Rena ~