1. Grape SEED extract

Anti Cancer--Cytoprotective

Grape seed extract has been shown to have anti cancer properties against human prostate and breast cancer cells and mouse skin models³⁴,³⁵,³⁶,³⁷ . In one study GSE applied topically post induction of tumors in mice reduced both the number of tumors and individual tumor size³⁸ .

Grape seed extract has also been shown to protect normal cells from cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents³⁹,⁴⁰.

2. Grape SKIN extract

Anthocyanins present in large quantities in red grapes have potential chemoprotective properties⁴¹. The exact mechanism is not known but may be related to their ability to suppress cell proliferation and migration, tumour cell invasion or angiogenesis⁴²,⁴³,⁴⁴ . Delphinidin, an anthocyanin, was found to exert antiproliferative effects on basal and vascular endothelial growth factor induced proliferation and therefore could be regarded as anticarcinogenic⁴⁵ . It can therefore be inferred that products such as Grape Skin extract which contain high concentrations of anthocyanins could have potential anticarcinogenic effects.


34 Bomser J, Singletary K, Meline B 2000, 'Inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced mouse skin ornithine decarboxylase and protein kinase C by polyphenolics from grapes', Chem Biol Interact, 15;127(1):45-59.

35 Agarwal C, Sharma Y, Agarwal R 2000, 'Anticarcinogenic effect of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from grape seeds in human prostate carcinoma DU145 cells: modulation of mitogenic signaling and cell-cycle regulators and induction of G1 arrest and apoptosis', Mol Carcinog, 28(3):129-38

36 Bomser JA, Singletary KW, Wallig MA, Smith MA 1999, 'Inhibition of TPA-induced tumor promotion in CD-1 mouse epidermis by a polyphenolic fraction from grape seeds', Cancer Lett , 29;135(2):151-7

37 Ye X, Krohn RL, Liu W, Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, McGinn TR, Bagchi M, Preuss HG, Stohs SJ, Bagchi D 1999, 'The cytotoxic effects of a novel IH636 grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on cultured human cancer cells', Mol Cell Biochem 196(1-2):99-108.

38 Zhao J, Wang J, Chen Y, Agarwal R 1999, 'Anti-tumor-promoting activity of a polyphenolic fraction isolated from grape seeds in the mouse skin two-stage initiation-promotion protocol and identification of procyanidin B5-3'-gallate as the most effective antioxidant constituent', Carcinogenesis 20(9):1737-45.

39 Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, Benner EJ, Bagchi M, Bagchi D 1999, 'Amelioration of the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents by grape seed proanthocyanidin extract', Antioxid Redox Signal, 1(4):563-70.
40 Joshi SS, Kuszynski CA, Bagchi M, Bagchi D 2000, 'Chemopreventive effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on Chang liver cells', Toxicology 30;155(1-3):83-90.

41Middleton E, Kandaswami C & Theoharides TC. 2000, The effects of plant flavonoids on mammalian cells: implications for inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Pharmacol Rev., vol. 52, pp. 673-751.

42 Nagase H, Sasaki K, Kito H, Haga A & Sato T. 1998, Inhibitory effect of delphidin from Solanum melangena on human fibrosarcoma HT invasiveness in vitro. Planta Med. vol. 64, pp. 216-219.

43 Chen S, Ruan, Q, Bedner E, Deptala A, Wang X, Hsieh, TC, Traganos F, Darynkiewicz Z. 2001, Effects of flavonoid baicalin and its metabolitebaicalein on androgen receptor expression, cell cycle progression and apoptosis of prostate cancer cell lines. Cell Prolif, vol. 34, pp. 293-304.

44 Fotsis T, Pepper, MS, Aktas E, Breits, S, Rasku S, Adlercreutz H, Wahala K, Montesano, R, Schweigerer, L. 1997, Flavonoids, dietary derived inhibition of cell proliferation and invitro angiogenesis. Cancer Res vol. 57, pp. 2916-2921.

45 Martin, S, Favot, L, Matx R, Lugnier C & Andriansitohaina R. 2003, Delphinidin inhibits endothelial cell proliferation and cell cycle progression through a transient activation of ERK-1/-2. Biochem Pharmacol, vol. 65, pp. 699-675.

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