Camarinha extract, an endemic species to the Iberian Peninsula, may have anticancer properties, reveal the first results of a study led by a team from the Molecular Physical Chemistry Research and Development (R&D) Unit of the University's Faculty of Science and Technology of Coimbra (FCTUC).
The study was carried out as part of the activities provided for in the IDEAS4life project, with funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), whose team includes the participation of researchers from the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra (ESAC), from the Faculty of Pharmacy of University of Porto, through REQUIMTE (Chemistry and Technology Network), and the Higher Institute of Agronomy (ISA) of the University of Lisbon (UL).
In the various experiments performed on colon cancer cell lines (HT29), it was observed that 'extracts from Chorema album [scientific name of the chamber] manage to inhibit the proliferation of this type of cancer cells», indicate Aida Moreira da Silva and Maria João Barroca, coordinators of the study.
Researchers from the FCTUC's Molecular Physical Chemistry Unit and professors from the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra underline the fact that the extract obtained from the leaves of the plant (camarinheira) has been shown to be «more effective than the extract from shrimp berries. which is very interesting, considering that the leaves exist throughout the year, while the berries are seasonal».
In order to obtain maximum information about the behavior of the extracts, several physicochemical techniques were applied, including vibrational spectroscopy: Raman and Infrared spectroscopy.
In view of these promising results, the team now plans to extend the tests vitro, applying the extracts to cells of other types of cancer. In addition, “we are exploring the various parts of the chamber and the chambermaid. Even within the fruit, we are exploring evidences and behaviors that can provide us with information for possible future drugs», advance Aida Moreira Silva and Maria João Barroca.
"We intend to recover these ancestral berries, which were used as an antipyretic and vermicide", say the researchers, adding that they will also explore the gastronomic aspect, having already recovered several old recipes, so that, "on the one hand, this heritage and , on the other hand, may contribute to the livelihood of some farmers on the Portuguese coast».
Despite being abundant on the Portuguese coast, the Camarinha is still unexplored and the scientific literature on the species is relatively small. This study is being developed as part of a broader project (IDEAS4life) which aims to enhance endogenous marine resources obtained from marine plants, including halophyte plants. Recently, one of the scientific articles produced by the team was featured on the cover of the scientific journal Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.
Author: Cristina Pinto – Press Office – University of Coimbra – Science Communication
Science in the Regional Press – Ciência Viva
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