New cancer fighter: Tobacco

[Richard D]

Researchers at the University of Louisiana at Monroe have discovered anticancer compounds in the most unlikely of places — tobacco leaves.

Khalid El Sayed, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the ULM College of Pharmacy, and ULM colleagues Paul Sylvester and Girish Shah received a patent for their discovery of anti-cancer compounds in fresh tobacco leaves earlier this week from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

“The leaf and flower of the tobacco plant contain high amounts of the key flavor ingredient called cembranoids, which shows promise as an anti-cancer agent,” El Sayed said. “It was very exciting to discover the anti-cancer activities.”

But this doesn’t mean people will reap the same benefits by using commercial tobacco, he warned, adding that much of the anti-cancer compound is lost in the processing of commercial tobacco.


http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20110715/NEWS01/110715013

[Warpy]

1. Many chemotherapy drugs were originally developed for something else

but proved too poisonous to use for the original purpose.

That tobacco contains useful poisons along with the useless ones is no surprise to me.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Tomacco, the anti-cancer fruit that you can't get enough of... n/t

[tridim]

3. Tobacco is just jealous of Cannabis.