The Role of Fruits on the Cancer Incidence in Cusco Peru

Abstract

Breast cancer remains as one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the world. Although Western industrialized nations rely on a contemporary approach to modern medicine, many developing countries, such as Peru, rely on traditional medicine and alternative natural remedies. Therefore, the focus of this study was to determine the extent to which natural remedies and nutrition, contribute to the prevention and incidence of cancer. Here, we focus on the use of certain fruits, like papaya and the noni fruit, as natural remedies for illness. First, survey data was collected in Cusco, Peru regarding which fruits are consumed as natural remedies for illness. Then, molecular techniques such as MTT assay and LDH Cytotoxicity assay were used to test the effect these fruits have on HeLa cells. The survey results showed, papaya and noni as the most commonly used fruits for illness. Noni powder and papaya fruit were extracted with ethyl acetate and ethanol and used in MTT and cytotoxicity assays. Preliminary results in mammalian cells showed no effect of the ethyl acetate extracts on the viability of HeLa cells. However, MTT assay results for the ethanol extraction of papaya skin showed a decrease in mammalian cell viability at high concentrations. Further experiments will be conducted to test fresh noni and papaya as well as other commonly eaten fruits in Peru for their anticancer properties.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.