Researchers led by the Charles Sturt University (CSU) applied phenolic compounds from Australian-grown Nura and Rossa faba beans to five different cancer cell lines in laboratory experiments at Wagga Wagga.
In all cases the rate of cancer cell death was accelerated.
"We know that anti-oxidant properties are potentially linked to anti-cancer properties, so we were trying to look for the connections," researcher Siem Siah said.
Phenolic compounds are chemicals in plants largely responsible for colour, metabolism and defensive mechanisms.
Researchers grew cultures of four cancer cell lines - bladder, stomach, liver and colon cancers - in flasks, then applied the phenolic compounds to them directly and waited 24 hours to measure the proliferation of cells.
The rate of cancer cell multiplication was greatly reduced once the faba bean extracts were applied.
"Normal healthy cells are programmed to multiply, grow and die (cell death is called apoptosis). Cancer cells evade the process of apoptosis, continue to proliferate and become tumours," said Dr Jennifer Wood who supervised the research.
"This work showed faba bean phenolics induced normal cell death in the cancer cells. Conversely, the extracts had no effect on the proliferation of normal human colon cells tested, a very favourable outcome," Wood said in a statement.
Additional experiments on the interaction with important human enzymes showed that phenolic extracts from faba beans inhibited angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), a common target of pharmaceutical medication for hypertension.
These compounds also inhibited the action of the digestive enzymes alpha-glucosidase and lipase, which could mean slower digestion (and therefore a longer feeling of satiety), and lower sugar and fat absorption by the digestive system.
The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
