Tea leaves may kill cancer cells
Nanoparticles derived from tea leaves can inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells, destroying up to 80% of them, a team of Indian and British scientists has found.
The study, published in the journal Applied Nano Materials, outlines a new method of producing a type of nanoparticle called quantum dots. “…Tea leaf extract can be a non-toxic alternative to making quantum dots using chemicals,” said Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu from Swansea University, who led the study.
“The real surprise, however, was that the dots actively inhibited the growth of the lung cancer cells. We had not been expecting this,” Mr. Pitchaimuthu said.
“Our research confirmed previous evidence that tea leaf extract can be a non-toxic alternative to making quantum dots using chemicals,” said Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu from Swansea University in the UK, who led the study.
“The real surprise, however, was that the dots actively inhibited the growth of the lung cancer cells. We had not been expecting this,” Pitchaimuthu said.
Quantum dots can be made chemically, but this is complicated and expensive and has toxic side effects.
Tea leaves contain a wide variety of compounds, including polyphenols, amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants.
They found that tea leaves are a simpler, cheaper and less toxic method of producing quantum dots, compared with using chemicals, confirming the results of other research in the field.
