GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A Brazilian berry popular in health food contains
antioxidants that destroyed cultured human cancer cells in a recent
University of Florida study, one of the first to investigate the
fruit's purported benefits.

Published today in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the
study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH'-ee) berries triggered a self-
destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said
Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute of Food
and Agricultural Sciences.

"Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources
of antioxidants," Talcott said. "This study was an important step
toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary
supplements or other products made with the berries."

He cautioned that the study, funded by UF sources, was not intended to
show whether compounds found in acai berries could prevent leukemia in
people.