Scientists at Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine have found that alpha-santalol (a component of sandalwood oil) can suppress the development of prostate cancer in mice. The results of the study were published in the journal Phytomedicine Plus.
The oil obtained from the heartwood of sandalwood trees (santalum album tree) is used to make perfumes, soaps, incense and candles. Sandalwood oil is also used for medicinal purposes due to its phytochemical components, which provide the product with antibacterial and antitumor properties. Sandalwood oil is 90% composed of two compounds – alpha and beta santalol.
In a new study, scientists from the United States assessed the anti-cancer properties of sandalwood oil. Genetically modified transgenic mice with prostate cancer were selected for the experiment. The animals were divided into two groups in accordance with the treatment plan. The rodents in the first group were given one of the components of sandalwood oil, alpha-santhalol, while the other mice were combined into a control group to receive a placebo.
The results showed that administration of alpha-santalol slowed the growth of prostate cancer tumors glands by reducing cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis, a process of programmed cell death. At the end of experimental therapy, the area occupied by tumor tissue in mice treated with alpha-santalol was significantly reduced compared to that in rodents in the placebo group. The scientists also noted that alpha-santalol did not cause weight loss or other side effects in the mice.
According to the researchers, their work could be the first step in developing new treatments for prostate cancer in humans. To find out exactly how alpha-santalol selectively destroys cancer cells, additional research is needed.
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