BMBF promotes the research of ingredients in functional food

Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Germany. The number of people falling sick with this type of cancer annually is estimated at over 70.000. Every year, about 31.000 die because of bowel cancer.

Prof. Dr. Pablo Steinberger, head of the Institut für Lebensmitteltoxikologe und Chemische Analytik of the Universitiy of Vetinary Medicine Hanover (TiHo), will examine the cancer preventive effect of  substances which are related to the antioxidant Resveratrol. He cooperates with scientists of the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the Universität Potsdam as well as Breko GmbH.
These substances might be employed in yoghurt or drinks and might help preventing bowel cancer. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) promotes the project of Prof. Steinberg, "Oligomere Resveratrole als neue Functional Food Ingredients", for 3 years with 200.000 Euro.

"Secondary metabolites carry our hopes for chemo-prevention of cancer", explains Prof. Steinberg. "The past ten years, promising studies prove that Resveratrol and related substances may prevent cancer."

Resveratrol is a herbal ingredient, which only little herbal food such as grapes, raspberries or peanuts contain. Only grape products contain an amount worth mentioning. Still, the amount of Resveratrol which is received via herbal food is estimated as too remote to prevent cancer.

A fine source for Resveratrol derivatives are grapevine offshoots, which incurre in great amounts while cutting grapevines down. Breko GmbH developed a grapevine extract which contains various compounds of Resveratrol. To extend the application possibilities and the intake into the body, the extract was nano encapsulated. Nano encapsulations enclose the chemical agent until they release it in a specific location where it can make a well-controlled impact.

The grapevine extract and its encapsulated form are to be examined and compared to find out if these compounds are suited to prevent cancer as ingredient of functional food. Some of the compounds are scarcely tested. Still, there are preliminary examinations pointing out that some of them bear greater potential to prevent cancer than Resveratrol itself. If a preventive effect worth mentioning is attested, the extract will be brought to market as ingredients of functional food. A possible field of application is yoghurt or drinks.

The scientist hope to prevent colorectal cancer with the aid of Resveratrol compounds. Colorectal cancer occurs most of the time after the age of 50. Only five to ten percent of these tumors are genetically induced. At leat 90 percent trace to environmental and nutrition factors.