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      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Bell Curves
        • Birds Vs. Turbines
        • Energy in the Obama Era
        • The Future of Neuroscience
        • Gender Gap in Math
        • GMOs--Yes or No?
        • The History of Minecraft: How a Swedish Indie Game Came to Dominate the World
        • The Effect of Prozac on the Brain
        • Philae Lander's Discovery of Organic Molecules
        • Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines
        • Your Own Worst Enemy: An Overview of Lupus
        • The Methylhex Ban
        • The Effect of Lyme Disease on the Immune system
        • Infectious Mononucleosis
        • Replacing CFCs
        • The Switch
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • The 43rd Figure
        • The Clock
        • The Collatz Conjecture
        • Constructing a Soccer Ball
        • Determining how Ballparks Affect Batter's Ability to Create Hits
        • The Rotating Conundrum
        • Pythagorean Puzzle
        • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
        • Kinetics Lab
        • Math in the Restaurant Business
        • Math as a Vessel for Social Change
        • Sustainability of Bottled Vs. Tap Water
        • Thoughts on the Lottery
        • Understanding Player Efficiency Rating
      • Scientific Research >
        • Communicating With Computers
        • The Mystery of Asthma
        • The Nanoscopic War Against Cancer
        • Phytochemistry
        • Solving the energy crisis with Intermediate Band Solar Cells
        • A Pain That Never Ends
        • Rapamycin Resistance
        • Ampacity of a Single Core Horizontal Cable
        • Morphological Properties of Texting Acronym Formation
        • cGAS and STING Expression
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Can Humans Survive the Climate Crisis?
        • My Experience as a Teacher's Assistant
        • Ted Talk Responses
        • Teens For Food Justice
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Chandelier
        • Deltoidal Hexacontrahedon
        • Dodecahedron Card Trick
        • Eye of the Triangle
        • Free Radric Delantic Davis
        • The Grid
        • What Does A Randomly Composed Song Sound Like?
        • Science Wing Mural
    • 2014 Publication >
      • Cover Photo
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Art Using the Fibonacci Sequence
        • Computer Generated Architecture and Designs
        • Mathematical Landscape
        • Math Art
        • Math in Music
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Algae Bio-Fuel
        • An Energy Alternative
        • Clean Energy In Transportation
        • Calorie Restriction
        • Creating Energy in the Modern World
        • Dietary Intervention Impact on Gut Microbial Gene Richness
        • Earthly Applications for NASA Technology
        • Explaining Relative Motion
        • Exploring Artificial Inteligence
        • Gamma Function
        • How Leaves Work
        • Hydrogen Fuel Cells
        • Music and Brain Development
        • Programming Calculators
        • The Science of Microsatellites
        • Sci-Fi Taser
        • Sloane's Gap
        • Sustainable Energy: Why Some Ideas Shine Brighter than Others
        • Understanding The Galvanic Cell
        • The Virus: Our Unforeseen Philosopher's Stone
        • What Are Fuel Cells and How Do They Work?
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
        • Big Bang
        • Dictyostelium Discoideum
        • The Future of Solar Cell Technology
        • And Many More...
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Alternative Energy Sources, New but Unused
        • An Insight Into the Curious World of Ethnobotany
        • Challenging What We Think We Know
        • The Current State of American Education
        • Discovering New Numbers
        • Interview With an Architect
        • Life of Pi Response
        • Mathematical Art Video Commentary
        • Missing from Science Class
        • The Museum of Math
        • The Inside Scoop on a Real Mathematician
    • 2013 Publication

PHYTOCHEMISTRY: 
An Economical, Sustainable, and Environmentally Friendly Way to Treat Cancer

Editor's Note: Mitchell B. ('16) details a preferred cancer treatment in this Dupoint Challenge essay.
In a time when Americans were incredibly paranoid, Edward R. Murrow assuaged many Americans’ concerns about the threat of the Soviet Union by revealing Joseph McCarthy’s unsubstantiated accusations about spies in the American public. Murrow is one of the many great Americans whose life has been prematurely taken by lung cancer, a disease caused by smoking cigarettes (Murrow, 2015). Today cancer is treated in a variety of ways including, most popularly, chemotherapy (the killing of all cells in the body). Unfortunately these methods can be harmful and at times ineffective. As the cancer epidemic grows, as does the need for successful ways to treat cancer. Phytochemists, scientists who investigate the active compounds in natural materials that have health effects due to their anti-oxidant constituents, believe that anti-oxidants found in such materials can lead to a sustainable and healthy way to treat epidemics like cancer and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder). Between 40 and 70 percent of cases of COPD turn into lung cancer through the development of tumors caused by the increase in free radicals, so as the threat of COPD is extinguished, many cases of lung cancer will be ridded as well (The Link Between COPD and Lung Cancer). Perhaps phytochemistry can be used as a way to treat COPD in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

Anti-oxidants are incredibly beneficial to the human body as they are compounds that protect cells from oxidizing or losing electrons.  The body can deal with 98-99% of oxidized cells, but the remaining cells that it cannot deal with do not have a purpose and therefore rapidly bond to other cells until they produce a tumor, or cancer. The way anti-oxidants deal with these oxidized cells is they donate a hydrogen ion, or a proton and therefore neutralize that potentially hazardous cell. Different anti-oxidants have different effects in the body, most prominently phenolic compounds, like proanthocyanidins are beneficial to urinary tract health, and flavanols are beneficial to heart health. In a recent study, flavanols were found to decrease phlegm production and help coughs, two of the symptoms of COPD (Benefits of Antioxidants). This led prominent phytochemist, Edward J. Kennelly, to investigate fruits known to have flavanols, one of these fruits is Costa Rican Guava, a fruit used to make jams and known to have anti-oxidant, cardioactive, anti-cough, and anticancer effects among others (Kennelly, 2013). The fruit was partitioned and chemicals with the highest anti-oxidant activity were tested for efficacy against cells treated with cigarette smoke extract, the main cause of COPD (Kennelly, 2013). The results were so striking that future tests will be done on the effective compounds (Kennelly, 2013). Another study led by Kennelly tested the properties of simple blueberries for their anti-oxidant constituents and again incredible results were found (Kennelly, 2012).


Beside its undeniable scientific promise, phytochemistry is a practice that supports practicality and sustainability. A recent study determined that many countries in Asia and Africa that suffer from hunger also suffer from poor mortality rates (Romana, 2014). Phytochemistry provides great access to foods that have health benefits, so people in these countries can both be fed and have greater access to economical treatments. Michael Balick, a prominent ethnobotanist, spends much of his time researching the health effects of common foods in Eastern diets; he is in effect, making the acculturation to the western diet, obsolete. It should be noted that there is some worry in Balick’s field that there will be a dearth of knowledge amongst the shamans that he studies because of lack of interest in traditional healing methods by younger generations. So the clock is ticking (Tabak, 2001).


Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sought to cope with the “significant concerns about the unintended social, environmental, and economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and consumption of our natural resources” (US Environmental Protection Agency). The EPA has looked to the wonders of science to solve these issues, perhaps phytochemistry could serve as an answer. It is only recycling compounds found in common and at times abundant resources in the world and then will seek to replicate them chemically. In summation, phytochemistry could solve a great deal of problems in an economical manner.

A world at war with cancer and hunger needing an economical and practical way to fix both problems can turn to a paradoxical study. One that combines primitive methods and cutting edge science to find an effective way to end each epidemic, no longer would people of affluence have to fear the big C and no longer would people of impoverished areas need to worry about their next meal. Had phytochemistry been a practice used in Murrow’s time, perhaps he would not have died so soon.


Balick, M. J. (1999, December 20). Mission in the Rain Forest. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/21/science/l-mission-in-the-rain-forest-992267.html

Bannon, L. (2012, September 14). Learning the Lore of Far-Flung Flora. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443884104577645933960016016

Benefits of Antioxidants. (2015, January 11). Retrieved from http://www.nutrex-hawaii.com/benefits-of-antioxidants

Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/survivor-facts-figures

Christensen, J. (1999, November 29). A Romance With a Rain Forest and Its Elusive Miracles. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/30/science/scientist-work-mark-j-plotkin-romance-with-rain-forest-its-elusive-miracles.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm


Dreifus, C. (1999, April 05). New York's a Jungle, and One Scientist Doesn't Mind. Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/06/science/conversation-with-michael-j-balick-new-york-s-jungle-one-scientist-doesn-t-mind.html

Edward R. Murrow. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_R._Murrow

Flores, G., Dastmalchi, K., Dabo, A. J., Whalen, K., Pedraza-Peñalosa, P., Foronjy, R. F., . . . Kennelly, E. J. (2012). Antioxidants of therapeutic relevance in COPD from the neotropical blueberry Anthopterus wardii. Food Chemistry, 131(1), 119-125. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.044

Flores, G., Dastmalchi, K., Wu, S., Whalen, K., Dabo, A. J., Reynertson, K. A., . . . Kennelly, E. J. (2013). Phenolic-rich extract from the Costa Rican guava (Psidium friedrichsthalianum) pulp with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Potential for COPD therapy. Food Chemistry, 141(2), 889-895. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.03.025

Hanazaki, N., Herbst, D., Marques, M., & Vandebroek, I. (2013). Evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome in ethnobotanical research. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 9(1), 75. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-9-75

The Link Between COPD and Lung Cancer. (2015, January 15). Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/copd/the-link-between-copd-and-lung-cancer.aspx

Romana, P. C. (n.d.). Millennium Development Goals: 2014 Progress Chart. Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2014%20MDG%20report/MDG%202014%20Progress%20Chart_English.pdf

Tabak, C., Arts, I. C., Smit, H. A., Heederik, D., & Kromhout, D. (2001). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Intake of Catechins, Flavonols, and Flavones. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 164(1), 61-64. doi:10.1164/ajrccm.164.1.2010025

Types of Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2015, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treatment/types-of-treatment

US Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/
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  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • HOW TO SUBMIT
  • Past Publications
    • 2019 Publication >
      • Scientific Research
      • Mathematical Exploration
      • Scientific Exploration
      • Computer Science
    • 2018 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Scientific Research
    • 2017 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Scientific Research
    • 2016 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
      • Scientific Research
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Artistic Creations
    • 2015 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Bell Curves
        • Birds Vs. Turbines
        • Energy in the Obama Era
        • The Future of Neuroscience
        • Gender Gap in Math
        • GMOs--Yes or No?
        • The History of Minecraft: How a Swedish Indie Game Came to Dominate the World
        • The Effect of Prozac on the Brain
        • Philae Lander's Discovery of Organic Molecules
        • Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines
        • Your Own Worst Enemy: An Overview of Lupus
        • The Methylhex Ban
        • The Effect of Lyme Disease on the Immune system
        • Infectious Mononucleosis
        • Replacing CFCs
        • The Switch
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • The 43rd Figure
        • The Clock
        • The Collatz Conjecture
        • Constructing a Soccer Ball
        • Determining how Ballparks Affect Batter's Ability to Create Hits
        • The Rotating Conundrum
        • Pythagorean Puzzle
        • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
        • Kinetics Lab
        • Math in the Restaurant Business
        • Math as a Vessel for Social Change
        • Sustainability of Bottled Vs. Tap Water
        • Thoughts on the Lottery
        • Understanding Player Efficiency Rating
      • Scientific Research >
        • Communicating With Computers
        • The Mystery of Asthma
        • The Nanoscopic War Against Cancer
        • Phytochemistry
        • Solving the energy crisis with Intermediate Band Solar Cells
        • A Pain That Never Ends
        • Rapamycin Resistance
        • Ampacity of a Single Core Horizontal Cable
        • Morphological Properties of Texting Acronym Formation
        • cGAS and STING Expression
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Can Humans Survive the Climate Crisis?
        • My Experience as a Teacher's Assistant
        • Ted Talk Responses
        • Teens For Food Justice
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Chandelier
        • Deltoidal Hexacontrahedon
        • Dodecahedron Card Trick
        • Eye of the Triangle
        • Free Radric Delantic Davis
        • The Grid
        • What Does A Randomly Composed Song Sound Like?
        • Science Wing Mural
    • 2014 Publication >
      • Cover Photo
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Art Using the Fibonacci Sequence
        • Computer Generated Architecture and Designs
        • Mathematical Landscape
        • Math Art
        • Math in Music
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Algae Bio-Fuel
        • An Energy Alternative
        • Clean Energy In Transportation
        • Calorie Restriction
        • Creating Energy in the Modern World
        • Dietary Intervention Impact on Gut Microbial Gene Richness
        • Earthly Applications for NASA Technology
        • Explaining Relative Motion
        • Exploring Artificial Inteligence
        • Gamma Function
        • How Leaves Work
        • Hydrogen Fuel Cells
        • Music and Brain Development
        • Programming Calculators
        • The Science of Microsatellites
        • Sci-Fi Taser
        • Sloane's Gap
        • Sustainable Energy: Why Some Ideas Shine Brighter than Others
        • Understanding The Galvanic Cell
        • The Virus: Our Unforeseen Philosopher's Stone
        • What Are Fuel Cells and How Do They Work?
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
        • Big Bang
        • Dictyostelium Discoideum
        • The Future of Solar Cell Technology
        • And Many More...
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Alternative Energy Sources, New but Unused
        • An Insight Into the Curious World of Ethnobotany
        • Challenging What We Think We Know
        • The Current State of American Education
        • Discovering New Numbers
        • Interview With an Architect
        • Life of Pi Response
        • Mathematical Art Video Commentary
        • Missing from Science Class
        • The Museum of Math
        • The Inside Scoop on a Real Mathematician
    • 2013 Publication