LONDON: A plant, called woad, used by ancient Britons and Celts to make blue war paint, is found to contain a potent compound that can be used in the fight against cancer.
The plant, belonging to the same family as cauliflower and broccoli, has high levels of the chemical compound, glucobrassicin, which has been proved to have anti-tumor properties and is particularly effective in the treatment of breast cancer.
A team of Italian scientists at Bologna University has found that woad contains 20 times more of glucobrassicin than broccoli, the plant that tops the list with powers to combat cancer. The researchers, headed by Stefania Galletti, found that it is possible to enhance the glucobrassicin levels in the plant by nearly 65 times.
The team's study has been published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
During its study, the team members found that glucobrassicin has a defending trait and that this property increases by 30 per cent if a leaf is damaged. Products made out of glucobrassicin can kill some plant pests.
Besides everything, it has anti-tumor properties, particularly against breast cancer as it has been found to flush out cancer-causing chemicals linked to estrogen (women with higher levels of this hormone are at increased risk of developing breast cancer).
Woad, found on earth since the Neolithic age, produces a blue dye, which soldiers in ancient times smeared on their faces and bodies in order to frighten enemies.
The other plants in the same family -- cauliflower, cabbage, swede and horseradish -- are already subject of studies for their ability to flush out cancer-causing chemicals.
