Ayurvedic Treatment for Breast Cancer

Herbs Used for Breast Cancer

Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Chinese licorice)

Part Used – Licorice root

Mode of Action – In human breast cancer cells it inhibits cell proliferation. Mainly licorice roots inhibit the proliferation of MCF- 7 cells in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. The extracts were fractionated in CHCl(3), EtOAc, C(6)H(14), and CH(3)OH-H(2)O (70:30), and these extracts of licorice root (50 micro g/mL) induced DNA fragmentation demonstrated by Hoechst 33258 staining. Apoptosis also determined the sub-G1 accumulation by flow cytometry analysis. These results were consistent with specific cleavage of PARP and antiapoptotic protein Bcl- 2 and up-regulation of proapoptotic protein Bax demonstrated by Western blotting. Our findings suggest that licorice root may have chemopreventive effects against human breast cancer through the modulation of the expression of the Bcl- 2/ Bax family of apoptotic regulatory factors.

Reference – Jo EH, Hong HD, Ahn NC, Jung JW, Yang SR, Park JS, Kim SH, Lee YS, Kang KS. Modulations of the Bcl- 2/ Bax family were involved in the chemopreventive effects of licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) in MCF- 7 human breast cancer cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2004 Mar 24; 52 (6):1715- 9. doi: 10. 1021/ jf035012t. PMID: 1503- 0235.

Nigella Sativa (Kalonji)

Part Used – Black seed extract.

Mode of Action – Black seed (N. Sativa L) is an oriental spice of the family Ranunculaceae that has long been rationally used as a natural medicine for the treatment of many acute as well as chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and immunological disorders. It has been used in the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, and dermatological conditions. There have been very few studies on the effects of N. Sativa as a chemoprevention of chronic diseases as well as in cancer prevention and/or therapy. Oxidative stress is a condition that underlies many acute as well as chronic conditions. The combination and role of oxidative stress and antioxidants in vivo is still a matter of conjecture. Our objective for the present study was to expose MCF-7 breast cancer cells in vitro (as a chronic disease example) to aqueous and alcohol extracts and in combination with H[2]O[2] as an oxidative stressor. Measurement of cell survival under various concentrations and mixtures was conducted using standard cell culture techniques, exposure protocols in 96 well plates, and Fluorospectrosphotometry. Following cellular growth to 90 % confluency, exposure to water (WE) and ethanol (AE) extracts of N. sativa and H[2]O[2] was performed. Cell survival indices were calculated from percent survival using regression analysis. Results showed that the alcohol extract and its mixtures were able to influence the survival of MCF-7 cells (indices ranged from 357.15- 809. 50 mg/ ml in descending potency for H[2]O[2]+AE to the mix of 3). In contrast, H[2]O[2] alone reduced effectively the survival of MCF-7 cells and the least effective combinations in descending potency were AE+H[2]O[2], WE+H[2]O[2], AE+WE, and WE+AE+H[2]O[2]. Mixtures other than AE+H[2]O[2] showed possible interactions and loss of potency. In conclusion, N. Sativa alone or in combination with oxidative stress was found to be effective (in vitro) in influencing the survival of MCF-7 breast cancer cells, unveiling promising opportunities in the field of cancer chemoprevention and/or treatment.

Reference – Farah, Ibrahim. (2006). Assessment of Cellular Responses to Oxidative Stress using MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Black Seed (N. Sativa L.) Extracts, and H2O2. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2. 411- 9. 10. 3390/ ijerph- 2005030005.

Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)

Part Used – Crude ethanolic extract

Mode of Action – Crude ethanolic rosemary extract (RO) has differential anti-proliferative effects on human leukemia and breast carcinoma cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) was estimated at 1/700, 1/400, 1/150 and 1/500 dilutions, for the HL60, K562, MCF7 and MDA- MB- 468 cells, respectively. Non-cytotoxic concentrations of RO at 1/1000 dilution minimally induced HL60 cell differentiation into granulocyte lineage at 9.5+/-2.2% compared to 2.8+/-0.8 % in the untreated control (p< 0.001) and did not induce HL60 cell differentiation into monocyte/ macrophage lineage. The 6- hydroxy- 2, 5, 7, 8- tetramethyl-chroman- 2- carboxylic acid (Trolox) equivalent antioxidant capacity assay showed that RO has substantial antioxidant activity with RO at 1/10 and 1/5 dilutions having 8.1 and 12.6 micron Trolox equivalents, respectively. RO at non-cytotoxic 1/ 2000 and 1/1000 dilutions did not affect nitric oxide (NO) production by non-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. However, at the same dilutions, RO significantly reduced NO production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- activated cells in a dose-dependent manner from 32.6+/- 2.3 microns in the LPS- activated cells to 19.2+/- 2.2 microM (p< 0.01), and 7.7+/-1.2 microM (p<0.001), respectively. RT- PCR analyses showed that RAW 264.7 cells treated with 1/1000 and 1/500 dilutions for 5 h did not affect TNFalpha, IL-1beta, iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression in these cells when compared to the untreated controls, nor did the 1/ 1000 dilution of RO affect TNFalpha, IL-1beta, iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression in the LPS-activated cells. At 1/500 dilution, RO significantly reduced IL-1beta (p< 0.01) and COX-2 (p< 0.05) mRNA expression and non-significantly reduced TNF-alpha and iNOS mRNA expression in the LPS-activated cells.

Reference – Cheung S, Tai J. Anti-proliferative and antioxidant properties of rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis. Oncol Rep. 2007 Jun; 17 (6): 1525- 31. PMID: 1748- 7414.

Cannabis sativa

Part Used – Cannabinoids

Mode of Action – Delta (9)- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exhibits antitumor effects on various cancer cell types, but its use in chemotherapy is limited by its psychotropic activity. We investigated the antitumor activities of other plant cannabinoids, i.e., cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, cannabidiol acid, and THC acid, and assessed whether there is any advantage in using Cannabis extracts (enriched in either cannabidiol or THC) over pure cannabinoids. Results obtained in a panel of tumor cell lines indicate that, of the five natural compounds tested, cannabidiol is the most potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth (IC(50) between 6.0 and 10.6 micro M), with significantly lower potency in non cancer cells. The cannabidiol-rich extract was equipotent to cannabidiol, whereas cannabigerol and cannabichromene followed in the rank of potency. Both cannabidiol and the cannabidiol-rich extract inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors obtained by s.c. injection into athymic mice of human MDA-MB-  231 breast carcinoma or rat v- K- ras- transformed thyroid epithelial cells and reduced lung metastases deriving from intrapaw injection of MDA- MB- 231 cells. Judging from several experiments on its possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of action, we propose that cannabidiol lacks a unique mode of action in the cell lines investigated. At least for MDA- MB- 231 cells, however, our experiments indicate that the cannabidiol effect is due to its capability of inducing apoptosis via direct or indirect activation of cannabinoid CB (2) and vanilloid transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 receptors and cannabinoid/vanilloid receptor-independent elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) and reactive oxygen species. Our data support the further testing of cannabidiol and cannabidiol-rich extracts for the potential treatment of cancer.

Reference – Ligresti, Alessia & Moriello, Aniello & Starowicz, Katarzyna & Matias, Isabelle & Pisanti, Simona & De petrocellis, Luciano & Laezza, Chiara & Portella, Giuseppe & Bifulco, Maurizio & Di Marzo, Vincenzo. (2006). Antitumor Activity of Plant Cannabinoids with Emphasis on the Effect of Cannabidiol on Human Breast Carcinoma. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics. 318. 1375- 87. 10. 1124/ jpet. 106. 105247.