Friday Oct 14, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study suggests that Annona muricata crude extract from some locations may be potent enough to help fight early stage breast cancer. 

Authors of the study tested 19 Annona muricata crude extract samples and identified the one that was most effective against in vivo breast cancer cells.  The selected extract was then tested in mice with induced 4 T1 breast cancer or tumor to see how it worked to help the tumor.

The study shows that the selected Annona muricata crude extract was able to reduce the tumor’s size and weight, prevented metastasis and induced apoptosis in in vitro and in vitro 4 T1 breast cancer cells.

The study also reveals that this  extract increased the concentrations of white blood cells, t-cells and natural killer cells, which are believed to be important for the fighting of all sorts of cancer cells.

Tested were three breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and 4 T1.  But the in vivo test was only conducted with the selected extract in mice with 4 T1 breast tumors.   It remains unknown whether these extracts would work also in other types of breast cancer.

The authors suggest that the preparation of the Annona muricata crude extract can also be important in determining the therapeutic potency against the breast cancer cells. (David Liu)

Anti-cancer effect of Annona Muricata Linn Leaves Crude Extract (AMCE) on breast cancer cell line Syed Umar Faruq Syed Najmuddin, Muhammad Firdaus Romli, Muhajir Hamid, Noorjahan Banu Alitheen and Nik Mohd Afizan Nik Abd RahmanEmail author BMC Complementary and Alternative MedicineBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201616:311 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1290-y©  The Author(s). 2016