Synergistic Capsicum-tea mixtures with anticancer activity.

We have demonstrated a synergy between a decaffeinated green tea concentrate and a vanilloid-containing Capsicum preparation obtained commercially. At a ratio of 25 parts green tea concentrate to 1 part Capsicum preparation, the resultant product exhibited efficacy in the killing of cancer cells in culture 100-times that of green tea on a weight basis. These studies were guided by assays of the putative catechin-vanilloid target protein tNOX, a cell surface growth-related enzymatic activity specific to cancer. The activity of the protein target was inhibited by the tea catechins and the Capsicum vanilloids. As with growth, the tea and Capsicum preparations evaluated were synergistic in their inhibition of the target enzymatic activity.