Tomato extract may help prevent and treat gastric cancer

Researchers from the United States and Italy found that the whole extract of two tomato varieties (San Marzano and corbarino) can prevent the growth of gastric cancer cells and inhibit their malignant characteristics The study's co-author, Professor Antonio Giordano, director of the Institute of molecular medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, and colleagues published their latest findings in the Journal of cell physiology Previous studies have shown that compounds found in tomatoes, such as lycopene, a carotene that makes tomatoes red, may help fight cancer However, the researchers noticed that there were few studies on the anti-cancer effect of the whole tomato, so they started to attack the research gap The researchers tested the effects of two tomato extracts, San Marzano and corbarino, on gastric cancer cell lines They found that each extract not only blocked the growth of gastric cancer cells, but also interfered with their metastasis In addition, the researchers found that the anti-cancer effect of tomato extract did not specifically implement a specific compound Their antitumor effect does not seem to be related to a specific component (such as lycopene), which seems to indicate that the antitumor effect of tomato is overall effective The results of this study suggest that the total extract of tomato may contribute to the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer.