Category Archives: cancer

Breast cancer, cancer, Ovarian cancer

Scutellaria barbatae herba

Cancer: Breast, ovarian

Action: Apoptotic, bcl2

Herba Scutellaria barbatae, was cytotoxic to 100% (11 of 11) of actively proliferating ovarian lines tested and 50% (2 of 4) of actively proliferating breast cell lines tested. Confluent cultures were resistant to killing by herb, whereas subconfluent cultures were sensitive. Resistant proliferating cell lines expressed higher levels of bcl2. Transfection of the most sensitive ovarian cancer cell line (A2780) with bcl2 resulted in a noticeable protection against apoptosis, but there was no protection in other transfected lines.

These results will be useful in guiding future studies of herbal aqueous extracts, as well as providing information for clinicians when patients are concurrently using these herbs along with conventional cancer therapies.

Source:

Powell CB, Fung P, Jackson J, Dall’Era J, Lewkowicz D, Cohen I, Smith-McCune K. Aqueous extract of herba Scutellaria barbatae, a chinese herb used for ovarian cancer, induces apoptosis of ovarian cancer cell lines. Gynecol Oncol. 2003 Nov;91(2):332-40.

cancer, Chapter 8 Injectables and Cancer Research, Colon Cancer or Colorectal cancer

Carnosic Acid

Cancer: Colorectal

Action: suppresses carcinogenesis

A study by Kim et al., (2014) determined the efficacy of carnosic acid (CA) for suppressing colon carcinogenesis associated with excess adiposity. The proliferation of HT-29 cells co-cultured with 3T3L1 cells was significantly higher than proliferation of control cells (p<0.05). CA treatment suppressed the growth of co-cultured HT-29 cells through cell cycle arrest and enhanced apoptosis by inhibiting leptin receptor (Ob-R) signaling including Akt and ERK phosphorylation. CA supplementation in vivo decreased the number of colon tumors and reduced circulating concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, insulin, and IGF-1. Colonic expression of Ob-R, insulin receptor (IR), p-Akt, p-ERK, Bcl-x,L and cyclinD1 protein was also suppressed in animals fed CA.

CA appears to alleviate adipocity-related acceleration of colon tumor formation.

Carnosic acid is a natural benzenediol abietane diterpene found in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and common sage (Salvia officinalis). Dried leaves of rosemary or sage contain 1.5 to 2.5% carnosic acid.

Source

Kim Y-J, Kim J-S, Seo Y-R, et al. Carnosic acid suppresses colon tumor formation in association with anti-adipogenic activity. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. 2014 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201400293