Phytonutrients with Antioxidant and Antibiotic Effects

lemons and limes contain unique flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and anticancer properties. Of special interest in limes have been flavonoids calledflavonol glycosides, including manykaempferolrelated molecules. While these flavonoids have been shown to stop cell division in many cancer cell lines, they are perhaps most interesting for their antibiotic effects. In several villages in West Africa where cholera epidemics had occurred, the inclusion of lime juice during the main meal of the day was determined to have been protective against the contraction of cholera. (Cholera is a disease triggered by activity of the bacteria calledVibrio cholera). Researchers quickly began to experiment with the addition of lime juice to the sauce eaten with rice, and in this role, lime juice was also found to have a strong protective effect against cholera.