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Wednesday, 25th March 2009 (1775 views)

Adding gold salts to a pot of tea could aid cancer treatment, scientists have discovered.

Combining the precious metal with the chemicals found in the drink broke down the gold pieces into nanoparticles, which could then be used to help destroy tumours, researchers from the University of Missouri stated.

The report, which appears in the Journal of Materials Chemistry, states that the technique is a more environmentally-friendly way of creating gold nanoparticles than methods that are currently in use.

"Throughout history, tea drinking has been directly attributed to a plethora of health benefits," lead author Kattesh Katti explained, adding that the process creates the opportunity for a "100 per cent green" approach to creating nanoparticles made from the metal.

Scientists at the University of Buffalo have discovered another use for gold nanoparticles, combining them with short interfering RNA molecules to help develop a new treatment for drug addiction.

 

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