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Ellagic Acid, an Anticarcinogen in Fruits, Especially in Strawberries: A Review

1991; American Society for Horticultural Science; Volume: 26; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.21273/hortsci.26.1.10

2327-9834

John L. Maas, Gene J. Galletta, Gary D. Stoner,

Food Science and Nutritional Studies

The various roles of ellagic acid as an anticarcinogenic plant phenol, including its inhibitory effects on chemically induced cancer, its effect on the body, occurrence in plants and biosynthesis, allelopathic properties, activity in regulation of plant hormones, formation of metal complexes, function as an antioxidant, insect growth and feeding inhibitor, and inheritance are reviewed and discussed in relation to current and future research.Ellagic acid (C 14 H 6 O 8 ) is a naturally occurring phenolic constituent of many species from a diversity of flowering plant families.Interest in ellagic acid has increased greatly during the last decade due to its effectiveness as an antimutagen and anticarcinogen and its potential as an inhibitor of chemically induced cancer.Much has been learned since 1980 concerning the clinical attributes of ellagic acid, but relatively little is known about the physiological, genetic, and ecological aspects of ellagic acid and its naturally occurring derivatives in the plant.We know that ellagic acid is present in a wide variety of plants and its presence or absence maybe significant taxonomically, but we are only beginning to notice intraspecific variation.Ellagic acid exists in plants in a great many derivative forms that differ in volubility, mobility, and reactivity in plant as well as in animal systems.Research has progressed at a rapid rate among medical research programs studying ellagic acid as a potential anticarcinogen or in blood clotting research.Exploring dietary sources of ellagic acid, the