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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] knoty but nice]
  • Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 22:31:53 -0400



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] knoty but nice
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 18:05:51 -0400
From: jcummins <jcummins@UWO.CA>
Reply-To: Sustainable Agriculture Network Discussion Group <SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU



April 19, 2005
Prof. Joe Cummins
‘Knoty but nice’

Two years ago I wrote about how organic agriculture fights cancer. The
plant chemicals called phenolics or flavonoids have been found to be
elevated in organic foods and these chemicals are effective in
preventing cancer (1). A kind of plant chemical ,related to flavonoids,
called lignans have recently yielded spectacular results in
preventing and treating human cancers. Lignans are a chemical family
containing two benezene rings to which is attached particular three
carbon arms, lignans are different from lignin, the polymer that binds
cellulose fibers together to make cell walls. Lignin is synthesized from
monomer units similar to lignans. Nevertheless, lignin is not
associated with the beneficial properties of lignans.
A recent review suggested that an anti-cancer diet would decrease
breast, colorectal and prostate cancer by 60 to 70 percent and even lung
cancer would be decreased by 40 to 50 percent . Intake of flax seed,
especially its lignan fraction will lower cancer risk (2). Flax seed
lignan has been shown to effectively treated cancer but has as well
been found to reduce risk of heart disease and to have positive effects
in lupus and polycystic kidney disease (3). Flaxseed meal was found to
ameliorate kidney damage in type two diabetes(4). The anticancer effect
of a plant lignan in treating prostate cancer was demonstrated using
human prostate cancer cells transplants in a nude (immune deficient)
mouse (5). Rat mammary tumors were reduced after treatment with a
plant lignan isolated from the knots of spruce trees (6). Along with
flaxseed extracts the knots of trees are proving to be a rich source of
anti-cancer lignans.
The knots of spruce and fir trees are believed to be the richest source
of lignans , up to 24 percent of the dry weight of the knot may be
lignans (7,8). The high level of lignan in the knots was unique to the
knot and the compounds were found at much lower levels in the stem wood
(9). Extracting lignans from the knots was not difficult.
Knot wood extracts also proved to be effective in controlling paper mill
bacteria that have a negative effect on paper quality (10). Lignans
have also been found to be a deterrent to insect feeding (11). The
antibacterial and insecticidal properties of the chemicals may be
developed more as time goes by.
Not surprisingly, there has been a spate of patent activity to take
advantage of the therapeutic potential of lignans. Of the many
relevant patents, United States (US) Patent 6,451,849 deals with the
use of a lignan for cancer prevention, non-cancer hormone dependent
disease and cardiovascular disease. The patent describes an active
lignan and its preparation (12). US patent 6,767,5654 describes a method
for preparing plant lignan for use in treating cancer, diabetes,
lupus, hypertension and high blood pressure (13). The first patent
applications for genetically modified crops with increased lignan
content have begun to appear. US patent application 20020174452 for
genetic modification of monocots such as rice with genes that increase
lignan level in grain using tissue specific promoters (14).
It is not surprising that biotechnology has taken lignan to heart and
that industry has a large and shameless public relations machinery which
will likely try to make it look like biotechnology , not natural
selection, invented lignans. The health benefits of organic foods have
been highlighted by findings that they are richer in anti-cancer
chemicals. Organic food producers should be more active in promoting
that aspect of their art.


References
1.Cummins,J. Organic agriculture helps fight cancer ISIS Report 2003
http://www.i-sis.org.uk
2. Donalsson,M. Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an
anti-cancer diet Nutr. J. 2004, 3,19-40
3.Westcott,N. and Muir,A. Flax seed lignan in disease prevention and
health promotion Phytochemistry Reviews 2003,2,401-17
4. Velasquez, M, Bhathena ,S, Ranich T, Schwartz, A, Kardon
,D, Ali, A, Haudenschild,C. and Hansen ,C. Dietary flaxseed meal reduces
proteinuria and ameliorates nephropathy in an animal model of type II
diabetes mellitus. Kidney Int. 2003 ,64,2100-7
5. Bylund A, Saarinen N, Zhang JX, Bergh A, Widmark A,
Johansson A, Lundin E, Adlercreutz H, Hallmans G, Stattin P. and
Makela, S. Anticancer effects of a plant lignan 7-hydroxymatairesinol on
a prostate cancer model in vivo. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2005 ,230,217-23
6. Kangas L, Saarinen N, Mutanen M, Ahotupa M, Hirsinummi
R, Unkila M, Perala M, Soininen P, Laatikainen R, Korte H. and Santti,
R Antioxidant and antitumor effects of hydroxymatairesinol (HM-3000,
HMR), a lignan isolated from the knots of spruce. Eur J Cancer Prev.
2002 ,11 Suppl 2,S48-57 .
7.Holmbom,B,Eckerman,C,Eklund,P,Hemming,J,Nisula,L,Reunanen,M,Sjöhol,R,
Sundberg,A,Sundberg,K.and Willför,S. Knots in trees-A new rich source of
lignan Phytochemistry Reviews 2003,2,331-40
8. Willfor ,S, Ahotupa, M, Hemming ,J, Reunanen ,M, Eklund,
P, Sjoholm ,R, Eckerman, C, Pohjamo ,S. and Holmbom,B. Antioxidant
activity of knotwood extractives and phenolic compounds of selected tree
species. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 17;51,7600-6
9. Willför,S,Hemming,J,Reunanen,M,Eckerman,C. and
Holmbom.B. Lignans and Lipophilic Extractives in Norway Spruce Knots and
Stemwood Holzforschung 57 ,2003, 27–36
10. Lindberg ,L, Willfor, S. and Holmbom,B. Antibacterial
effects of knotwood extractives on paper mill bacteria J Ind Microbiol
Biotechnol. 2004,31,137-47
11. Harmatha,J.and Nawrot,J. Insect feeding deterrent
activity of lignans and related phenylpropanoids with a
methylenedioxyphenyl (piperonyl) structure moiety Entomologia
Experimentalis et Applicata 2002,104:, 51–60
12. Ahotupa, M.Eckerman,C,Kangas,L,Makela,S,Saarinen,N,
Santti,R.and Warri,A. USE OF HYDROXYMATAIRESINOL FOR PREVENTION OF
CANCERS, NON-CANCER,HORMONE DEPENDENT DISEASES AND CARDIOVASCULAR
DISEASES BY HYDROXYMATAIRESINOL, AND A PHARMACEUTICAL PREPARATION, FOOD
ADDITIVE AND FOOD PRODUCT COMPRISING HYDROXYMATAIRESINOL 2002 US Patent
6,451,849
13. Shukla,R,Hilaly,A. and Moore,K. Process for obtaining
lignan 2004 US Patent 6,767,565
14.Lewis,N,Davin,L. and Huang,N. Monocot seeds with
increased lignan content 2002 US Patent application 20020174452









  • [permaculture] [Fwd: [SANET-MG] knoty but nice], Lawrence F. London, Jr., 04/21/2005

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