There are many plants with anticancer medicinal properties in every part of the world. But the concentration of the anticancer molecules in these plants is not enough to cure cancer.
Medicinal molecules must be tested for their efficacy and safety in humans. The process can take up to ten years. With the emergence of powerful artificial intelligence based tools, this period is rapidly going down. But the testing process involves several phases, starting with laboratory testing, followed by animal trials, and then three phases of human clinical trials.
Helleborus niger is a flowering plant that imported from the Mediterranean region into India in ancient times. In India, it is called Khurasaai kutaki. The plant is widely found in Europe, particularly in Southern Europe.
It is a small, perennial herb that grows to a height of 30 cm. It produces ornamental flowers that appear around Christmas. The flowers resemble wild roses, ranging in color from white to pink. In English, the plant is called the Christmas rose. It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family.
Ayurveda system plants with anticancer medicinal properties
Helleborus niger plant’s medicinal properties are recognized in the Ayurveda and Unani systems. Its black rhizome is used in medicine. The rhizomes are dried before use. They have a faint odor and a bitter, slightly acrid taste.
Three crystalline cardiac glycosides, aconitic acid, and kaempferol glycosides are the key medicinal molecules of this plant. The plant was extensively used as medicine in ancient Greek and European villages. Traditionally, the plant is used in the Balkan region to treat edema, arthritis, and ulcers.
Paracelsus, a Swiss physician (1493–1541), prescribed a medicine made from the dried leaves of the plant. He termed this medicine “an elixirium for a long life.” The plant was used in East Europe and the neighboring region as a cardiotonic.
The plant is used as an adjuvant treatment for various tumors, including brain tumors in children, prostate cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma (Jesse et al., 2009). Maior and Dobrotă (2013) observed the plant’s potential as an anticancer medicine. Delebinski et al. (2012) studied and validated the cytotoxic effect of the plant in certain extracranial childhood tumors.
In complementary medicine, the plant is used as an adjuvant therapy in treating certain forms of bronchial cancer, abdominal tumors, prostate cancer, Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, Kaposi’s sarcoma, and other related diseases.
Plants with anticancer medicinal properties that have been tested on humans
The herb was tested on a small sample of patients, and the results indicated positive (Jesse et al., 2007). However, I could not find conclusive clinical trials demonstrating the plant’s effectiveness in treating cancer. Until then, the plant’s medicinal value to treat cancer in modern medicine will remain unsubstantiated.
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