Black Raspberry antioxidant functions to inhibit leukemia cells but protects healthy cells

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Extracted the Anthocyanin cyanin-3-rutinoside from Black Raspberry and purified it; it is Black raspberry?s major Anthocyanin antioxidant. The Black Raspberry constituent caused the death of leukemia cells and the greater the concentration of the antioxidant and the longer the exposure time to it the better it killed the cells. Paradoxically, although it acted as a free radical generator in the cancer cells causing a build up of peroxides which were inhibiting the cell activity, in healthy cells it had just the opposite effect protecting them from damaging free radicals. The study is published in the May 4th, 2007 issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Goji berry extract has strong liver protecting activity

Researchers at the Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences know a lot about the liver; the incidence of hepatitis and liver disease in surrounding regions is very high. The researchers split male rats into 4 groups; one on distilled water only (the control group), one on alcohol, one on alcohol plus Goji berry polysaccharides 5%, and the last group on alcohol and Goji berry polysaccharides 10%. Damage to the liver and a rise of liver enzymes was monitored. At the end of the ten-week exposure period liver enzyme levels remained dramatically lower in the two Goji berry groups than in the alcohol alone group. Inflammatory components, lipid peroxidation and free radical activity in the liver were also reduced in the Goji berry groups. The Goji berry groups were also protected from typical alcoholic fatty liver damage. The study is published in the March 2007 issue of the Chinese Journal of Hepatology