The Kaempferia galanga L. is a tropical plant of the ginger family cultivated mainly in Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries. Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have uncovered promising indications that Kencur possesses anti-cancer effects. Led by Associate Professor Akiko Kojima of the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology, the researchers demonstrated that Kencur extract and its main active component, ethyl p-methoxycinnamate, significantly suppressed cancer cell growth at the cellular and animal levels.
While previous studies on EMC indicated its anti-cancer potential by decreasing the expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), which is associated with cancer cell proliferation, the exact mechanism remained unclear until now. Professor Kojima stated: “The results of this study confirm the anti-cancer effects of Kencur extract and its main active ingredient, EMC. It is highly expected that TFAM will become a new marker for anti-cancer effects in the future as research advances in related fields.”
