Cinnamaldehyde, a Component of Cinnamon, Could Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer

Besides adding flavor to the food, cinnamon can inhibit the progress of colorectal cancer. A new study has revealed that cinnamaldehyde, a component found in the spice, is a potent inhibitor of colorectal cancer. Associate Professor Georg Wondrak, and Professor Donna Zhang, at the University of Arizona recently completed a study in which they proved that adding cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its distinctive flavor and smell, to the diet of mice protected the mice against colorectal cancer. In response to cinnamaldehyde, the mice's cells had acquired the ability to protect themselves against exposure to a carcinogen through detoxification and repair.

Zhang deemed the finding significant, as colorectal cancer is aggressive and associated with poor prognoses, and there was an urgent need to develop more effective strategies to manage the disease. The next step in the research would be to test whether cinnamon, as opposed to cinnamaldehyde, prevents cancer using this same cancer model.

The study appears online and will appear in a print issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

Source-ANI