Mint plant can help fight cancer: CIMAP Researchers

Scientists at Lucknow​ based CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP​) have found that mint plant has medicinal values that can cure cancer.
They have identified that a medicinal compound called ‘L-Menthol’ derived from Mentha plant popularly known as mint.​ ​
Key findings

• L-Menthol compound can kill the colon cancer cell line without affecting the normal cell line.
• The compound inhibits the division of cancer cell and prevents its growth and spread to other organs of the body.
• Its production is cost-effective, non-destructive and easily available in comparison to anti-cancer compound used at present obtained from the bark of European Yew tree.
• The Mentha is available in abundance across the world compared to the European Yew tree which is found only in Europe and some parts of Africa and Asia.​
• ​Menthol can be derived easily without damaging the plant, whereas the European Yew tree has to be cut down for using bark for deriving anti-cancer compound.
• The discovery can be very useful for farmers in ​India where Mentha is grown in large quantity.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2016