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# Pequi oil treatment reduces toxicity of cancer chemotherapy
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/pequi_oil_treatment_0817140401/
- Published: 2014-08-17T17:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:27:17.000Z
- Description: In mice with Ehrlich solid tumors, carotenoid-rich pequi oil protected the heart from doxorubicin damage better than vitamin C or E, which were ineffective and may raise the drug's kidney toxicity. Pequi oil also curbed tumor growth and boosted lymphocyte-dependent immunity.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Sunday Aug 17, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Nutritional therapy based on antioxidants is highly desired to attenuate the toxicity of chemotherapy indicated to treat breast cancer. A new study suggests that supplementation with a carotenoid rick oil extracted from pequi (Caryocar brasiliense) (pequi oil) is more protective against the chemo-induced damage to the heart than vitamin C or vitamin E supplementation.

In the study, vitamin C, vitamin E and the pequi oil treatments were tested in Ehrlich solid tumor bearing mice to see how these supplements affect the doxorubicin (DX) induced oxidative damage to normal cells. Doxorubicin is a cancer chemotherapy, which can be used to treat a series of malignancies including breast cancer, but can cause serious adverse effects like life-threatening heart damage.

The chemotherapy increased internal necrosis area and reduced the positive Ki-67 cells, compared to non-treated tumors. Ki-67 protein is a cancer biomarker for growing cancer like breast cancer. Reduction in the biomarker indicates that the tumor growth was slowing down. 

Pequi oil treatment before tumor inoculation or in continuous and concurrent treatment with doxorubicin was found most effective in containing tumor growth, increasing lymphocyte dependent immunity and reducing adverse effects of the chemotherapy.

In comparison, vitamin C and vitamin E supplements were not effective when used before tumor inoculation and during chemotherapy in reducing the doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity. Vitamin C and E can actually increase doxorubicin induced nephrotoxicity.

The study suggests that cancer patients who receive doxorubicin may be better taking pequi oil as a dietary supplement because the supplement can reduce the damage to the heart by the chemotherapy. (David Liu)

Miranda-Vilela AL, Grisolia CK, Longo JP, Peixoto RC, de Almeida MC, Barbosa LC, Roll MM, Portilho FA, Estevanato LL, Bocca AL, Báo SN, Lacava ZG. Oil rich in carotenoids instead of vitamins C and E as a better option to reduce doxorubicin-induced damage to normal cells of Ehrlich tumor-bearing mice: hematological, toxicological and histopathological evaluations. J Nutr Biochem. 2014 Jul 17\.