Preparing black raspberry components for their use as cancer therapeutics

Abstract

Black raspberries (BRB) have been shown to inhibit the progression of a number of cancers including breast, esophageal, colon, and oral cancers both in preclinical models. These results have led to further clinical evaluation for the use of BRB in the prevention of cancer onset in high risk populations as well as preventing its further progression. However, the use of BRB as a cancer therapy can be challenging due to variability in nutritional content of BRB lots and differences in patient metabolism of the active BRB components. Thus, the preparation of fractions possessing enriched amounts of the active constituents of BRB may improve patients' access to the anti-cancer benefits afforded by BRB, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes. These components of BRB include anthocyanins, protocatechuic acid, quercetin, ellagic acid, all of which have exhibited anti-cancer properties. Which treatment modality and its method of delivery is most efficacious in the context of cancer therapy has yet to be definitively realized. Improvements in BRB fractionation as well as enhanced delivery of these BRB components to target tissues off promising results. Together these advancements may improve their efficacy as cancer therapeutics, and thus allow for more treatment modalities in cancer therapy.