(ANSA) - Rome, June 29 - A Mediterranean plant belonging to
the citrus family has been found to kill the malignant cells of
the most common and incurable form of brain tumours, researchers
of the Naples Second University (SUN) say.
The pre-clinical study showed that a liquid extract of the
plant Ruta graveolens can kill aggressive glioblastoma brain
tumour malignant cells without damaging healthy cells, according
to a report in the scientific journal PLOS One.
The research was coordinated by Luca Colucci-D'Amato,
lecturer in general Pathology at the SUN and financed by the
Network for safeguarding and management of agro-food genetic
resources AGRIGENET.
"Natural substances represent an important source of new
molecules with theraputic activity in many illnesses including
cancer," said Claudia Ciniglia, a lecturer in botany at SUN.
Med. plant 'kills brain tumour cells'
Ruta graveolens is part of citrus plant family