A great deal of pharmaceutical research and refinement in isolation & structure elucidation technique has placed the scientists in a better position to identify various anticancer herbs. Scientists all over the world are now concentrating on the use of herbs to fight cancer. Over a period of two decades, with advanced knowledge of molecular science, Sino Vedic Cancer Research Centre has identified more than 450 anticancer herbs having antimutagenic, DNA repairing, proapoptotic, antitumourangiogenesis, immunomodulatory, chemoprotective and radioprotective properties. These anticancer herbs inhibit growth & spread of cancer and tame aggressive cancer cells by repairing damaged DNA, inhibiting mutations in the genes, blocking cancer promoting enzymes & hormones, reviving the process of apoptosis and inhibiting tumourangiogenesis. Some of the commonly used Sino Vedic anticancer herbs are listed below:
Rubia Cordifolia
Rubia cordifolia root is used as an anticancer agent. Rubia cordifolia contains purpurin, pseudopurpurin, rubiadin, rubidianin, munjistin, xanthopurpurin, alizarin, and rubierythrinic acid etc. Two cyclic hexapeptides isolated from Rubia cordifolia have remarkable inhibitory action against lymphatic leukemia, melanoma, colon cancer and lung cancer. Rubia cordifolia contains seven anticancer compounds called RA-1 to RA-7. RA-7 has the most powerful anticancer action. Rubidianin, rubiadin, RA-7, RA-700 and RC-18 isolated from Rubia cordifolia inhibit growth & spread in cancers of breast, ovary, cervix, colon, lung, malignant ascites, malignant lymphoma, malignant melanoma sarcoma and leukaemia. Rubia cordifolia inhibits growth and spread of epidermoid carcinoma and possesses hepatoprotective activity.
Saussurea Lappa
Sesquiterpenes and costunolide dehydrocostuslactone, isolated from dried roots Saussurea lappa inhibit growth & spread of breast cancer. Cynaropicrin, a sesquiterpene lactone, isolated from Saussurea lappa possesses strong anticancer activity against malignant lymphoma and leukaemia through pro apoptotic activity. Cynaropicrin also possesses immunomodulatory effects on cytokine release. Costunolide, isolated from Saussurea lappa inhibits growth & spread of intestinal cancer. Mokkolactone isolated from Saussurea lappa induces apoptosis in leukaemic cells by collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential followed by the activation of caspase-3. C17-polyene alcohols (shikokiols) isolated from Saussurea lappa exhibit anticancer activity against cancers of the ovary, lung, skin, colon and central nervous system. Saussurea lappa inhibits growth & spread of cancers by arresting cancer cell division in G2 phase and inducing apoptosis.
Solanum Nigrum
Solamargine and solasonine, isolated from Solanum nigrum (Lo-ing-kue) inhibit growth & spread of various cancers including that of the breast, liver and lung. Steroidal glycosides (spirostane, furostane, spirosolane and pregnane), isolated from Solanum nigrum inhibit growth & spread of colon cancer and pheochromocytoma. Glycoproteins isolated from Solanum nigrum have antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on colon and breast cancers. Polysaccharides isolated from Solanum nigrum have significant inhibitory effects on growth of cervical cancer. Solanum nigrum inhibits growth & spread of liver cancer by two distinct anticancer activities, i.e. apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagy (autophagocytosis). Higher doses of Solanum nigrum induce apoptotic cell death while lower doses lead to autophagocytic death of cancer cells. Lunasin isolated from Solanum nigrum is a cancer preventive peptide. Solanum nigrum and Solanum lyrati (Shu-yang-quan) inhibit growth & spread of stomach cancer, sarcomas, malignant ascites and leukaemia.
Solanum Surattense
Phytoconstituents of Solanum surattense are carpesterol, gluco alkaloid solanocarpine, solanine-S, solasodine, solasonine, solamargine, cycloartanol, stigmasterol, campesterol, cholesterol, sitosteryl glucoside, stigmasteryl glucoside, solasurine, methyl ester of 3, 4-dihydroxycinnamic acid and 3, 4-dihydroxycinnamic acid (caffeic acid), isochlorogenic, neochlorogenic, chlorogenic acids (fruit); flavonol glycoside, quercetin, apigenin, sitosterol (flower); solanocarpine and amino acids (seeds); coumarins, scopolin, scopoletin, esculin and esculetin (leaves, roots and fruits); carpesterol, tomatidenol, norcarpesterol and solasonine (whole plant). Solasodine, a spiroketal alkaloidal sapogenin, isolated from Solanum surattense contains a heteorocyclic nitrogen atom. Solasodine has antidiabetic and anticancer properties. A water soluble extract from a plant of Solanum surattense consists essentially of at least 60%–90% of solamargine and solasonine. The water soluble extract can be used as an active component in a pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting the growth and spread of liver cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer.
