About TMC Visitor Info Parking What's New Institutions TMC News Health Briefs Houston Search |
|
|
Researchers at IBT Study Lycopene in Rio Red Eating the bright red pulp of the Rio Red grapefruit may help prevent cancers of the prostate, breast and cervix. Two parts of Texas A&M University - the Citrus Center in Weslaco and the Institute of Biosciences and Technology (IBT) in Houston - are studying why the chemical compound lycopene is so high in Rio Red grapefruit, grown only in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The Citrus Center tested different types of grapefruit and found that Rio Red contains the most lycopene, which already is proven to prevent prostate cancer. Lycopene is a compound known as a nutraceutical, a substance in red-colored foods like tomato and watermelon that helps in preventing diseases. Citrus Center scientists will send samples of lycopene extracted from Rio Red pulp to the IBT, where the samples will be tested on cell culture and animal models to see if the lycopene content is as beneficial in fighting cancers as it is believed and why. If scientists can identify the source of the high level of lycopene in the Rio Red, then that could lead to improving lycopene content in other citrus products. The goal is to increase the concentration of the beneficial chemicals in those fruit parts that are normally consumed, especially the juice.
- From Texas A&M University's Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News
©2006 Texas Medical Center E-Mail: tmcinfo@texmedctr.tmc.edu URL: http://www.tmc.edu/health_briefs/05_01_98-red.html |