Sanguinarine from Bloodroot Fights Cancer with Toothpaste

The surprise finding was presented Oct. 19 at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Seattle. Sanguinarine, an alkaloid present in the bloodroot plant, has been shown to enhance production of proteins that induce the death of cells damaged by ultraviolet-B radiation.

"This natural compound may protect skin from cells that acquire the genetic damage caused by UV radiation from advancing toward cancer," lead researcher Nihal Ahmad, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin, said in a prepared statement.
Cells pretreated with sanguinarine were 49 percent to 66 percent more likely to die off after exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation than were untreated cells, Ahmad found.

from healthscout.com/news/1/521824/main.html