KOCHI: Not many bother to digest the medicinal content or nutritional values of sardines while relishing them. Rich in bioactive substances, they contain anti-cancer properties, according to studies done by a research scholar Chitra Som of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat).Her thesis on two types of Omega-3 fatty acids in sardines has attracted the attention of a German scientific publishing company which has come forward to publish it.“That sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids is known to all and many studies have been done on its health benefits, but my work is on two kinds of Omega-3 fatty acids extracted from two varieties of sardines,” she said.Omega-3 fatty acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) extracted from Sardinella longiceps (mathichala) and Sardinella fimbriata (kathichala)- namely Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)- were found to reduce the risk of cancer.With properties that can bring down high cholesterol, they inhibit the growth of breast cancer and prostate cancer in human beings, she said.On subjecting the extracts to further pharmaceutical studies, its effects were found effective in controlling the levels of serum cholesterol, low density lipids (LDL) and triglycerides on experimental mice.The bioactivity of EPA-rich fatty acids vary from that of DHA rich fatty acids, said Chitra. EPA-rich fatty acids showed more anti-cancerous properties while DHA showed more anti-bacterial properties, she said.“The potency of these compounds in preventing cancer is high - about 85 to 90 per cent. Now I am doing clinical research in Bangalore and hope to apply my findings further and develop a drug if given an opportunity,” she said.Sardines are found abundantly in the coasts of Kerala and the levels of Omega-3 in them are high between December and March and lowest during June to September.Chitra was awarded PhD degree for the research she did under the supervision of C K Radhakrishnan, Professor Emeritus, Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry.She has conducted anti-cancer experiments at Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, and Veterinary College, Bangalore. It took nearly five years for the research and two years for review and documentation.
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