New cancer treatments may soon be available, thanks to resveratrol and quercetin.

Lead author on the research and assistant professor Adam Alani said that the findings had great potential to improve chemotherapeutic cancer treatment, as the study showed that it significantly reduced the cardiac toxicity of Adriamycin. And these compounds possess a synergistic effect that enhances the efficacy of the cancer drug, by sensitising the cancer cells to the effects of the drug.

Although highly effective in the treatment of lymphomas, breast, ovarian and other cancers, Adriamycin can only be used for a limited time in humans because of its cardiotoxicity.

The co-administration of these polyphenols might allow much more extensive use of this drug, while at the same time improving its efficacy and demonstrating the polyphenols' own anti-cancerproperties, scientists said.

Resveratol is a natural compound found in foods such as grapes, red wine, green tea, some fruits, berries and dark chocolate, and has been the subject of dozens of scientific studies for its various health values. Quercetin, also a powerful antioxidant, reaches some of its highest natural levels in capers, some berries, fruits, vegetables and leafy greens.

The findings are published in the Journal of Controlled Release. (ANI)