anti -cancer drugs in ayurveda

Type of tumour and Classical treatment procedures


Tumour subtypes
Classical treatment procedures
Granthi




Vatika granthi
Helloborus niger, Tinospora cordifolia, Clerodendronserratum, Aegle marmelos, Hoya viridiflora, Elephantopus scaber, Soymidafebrifuga and Gynandropis pentaphyllawere applied locally





Paittika granthi
Terminalia chebula powder with either grape or sugarcanejuice were used orally. The paste of Glycyrrhiza glabra, Eugenia jambolana,Terminalia arjuna or Calamus rotang were used of external application





Kapaja granthi
Paste of Capparis spinosa, Capparis sepiaria, Agatigrandiflora, Lagenaria vulgaris, Premna herbacea, Pongamia glabra, Musasapientum and Randia dumetorum used in local application

Arbuda

Classical procedures
Classical procedures Fomentations, cauterisation, scraping,blood letting, medicated enemata and other surgical procedures
Traditional treatment
Habitual intake of Basella rubra or application of alkalipreparation of Musa paradisiaca, Conch shell ash, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus, Sulphur,Potassium carbonate, Embelia ribes and ginger were used to cure arbuda





Vataja arbuda
Paste of Benincasa cerifera, Cucumis memordica, Cocosnucifera, and Eranda beeja, Ricinus communis along with butter or milk wereapplied





Pittaja arbuda
Tumours were treated with leaves of Ficus glomerata, Tectonagrandis, and Elephantopus scaber repeatedly and then with a honey mixed finepaste of Aglaja roxburghiana, Caesalpinia sappa, Symplocos racemosa, Terminaliaarjuna, Xanthium strumarium was applied





Kaphaja arbuda
After surgical removal of tumour, a drug that remove doshasfrom both the ends (vomiting and purgation) were employed. Then forpurification, a decoction of Clitoria ternatea,Jasminum grandiflorum and Neriumodorum leaves was used. For the postoperative care, oil cooked with Premnaherbacea, Embelia ribes, Cissampelos pareira was applied




Medoja arbuda
Curcuma domestica, Triticum sativum, Symplocos racemosa,etc. were made into a powder and applied externally by mixing them with honey.Oil from Pongamia glabra were used ofinternal administration





List of herbscommonly used in ayurvedic anticancer treatment



Name of the herb Method and use


1 Vitis vinifera
The mixture of Terminalia chebula, grape juice and sugarcane juice has been used. Resveratrol, a natural product derivative from grapejuice has been proved to possess cancer chemopreventive activity



2 Baliospermum montanum
The paste comprising of Baliospermum montanum, Plumbagozeylanica, Euphorbia neriifolia, Calotropis procera, jaggery, Semecarpusanacardium applied over the tumours



3 Madhuca indica
This paste isprepared from the barks of Madhuca indica, Syzygium cumini, arjuna Terminaliaarjuna and Salix caprea and prescribed for local application



4 .Pandanus odoratissimum
A paste of Pandanus odoratissimum with sugar was appliedexternally



5.Pterospermum acerifolium
The flowers ofPterospermum acerifolium mixed with sugar to be applied locally


6.Raphanus sativus
Local application of Raphanus sativus powder paste with theradish ash was considered effective against kaphaja arbuda


7.Barleria prionitis
The Barleria prionitis oil prepared with whole plant isindicated for external application during acute stages of cyst in blood vessels



8.Prosopis cineraria
This paste made up of Prosopis cineraria seeds, Raphanussativa, Moringa oleifera, barley and mustard with sour buttermilk was appliedlocally for disintegrating cysts



9.Amorphopallus campanulatus
The mature tuber is first burnt and then mixed with butterand jaggery and applied for tumour destruction



10.Oxoxylum indicum
The drug Oxoxylum indicum prescribed in treatment of granthi



11.Basella rubra
The plant and leaves are ground with sour buttermilk withsalt for preparing a poultice and indicated for arbuda



12.Flacourtia romantchi
The paste of Flacourtia romantchi, Cassia fistula, Capparissepiaria, is recommended for kaphaja tumours



13.Moringa oleifera
The paste of Moringa oleifera seeds, Solanum xanthocarpum,Sinapis dichotoma, Holarrhena antidysenterica and Nerium odorum roots preparedwith buttermilk is used for arbuda tumours


14.Ficus bengalensis
Application of mixture of Ficus bengalensis and Saussurealappa pacify tumour growth on bone


15.Curcuma domestica
The Curcuma domestica powder in combination with Symplocosracemosa, Soymida febrifuga, is mixed with honey and this is used as anexternal remedy


Scientific evidence on herbs used in Ayurveda proven tohave anticancer property

Name of the herb. Therapeutic enhancement potential of ayurvedic herbs oncancer chemotherapy/radiation




Allium sativum
Water-soluble derivative of garlic, S-allylmercaptocysteine(SAMC), inhibited proliferation and cell cycle progression in two human coloncancer cell lines, SW-480 and HT-29, similar to the effects of sulindac sulfide(SS), a well-known colon cancer chemopreventive agent. Co-administration of SSwith SAMC enhanced the growth inhibitoryand apoptotic effects of SS, suggesting the usefulness of SAMC alone or incombination with SS or other chemopreventive agents

Aloe vera
In a randomiseddouble-blinded clinical trial, comparing mild soap and aloe vera gel againstincidence of radiation therapy induced skin reactions, the median time of fiveweeks was taken to show any skin changes in the aloe/soap treatment versusthree weeks in the soap only treatment. The protective effect of adding aloe tothe soap regimen increases during long time radiation exposure . In anotherclinical trial involving patients with advanced solid tumours, for whom noother standard effective therapy was available, combination of pineal indolemelatonin (MLT) plus Aloe vera extracts produced some therapeutic benefits, atleast in terms of stabilization of disease and survival when compared to MLTalone treatment

Alstonia scholaris
The Alstonia scholaris extract pre-treatment increased theeffect of radiation as by enhancement of cell killing in HeLa and KB cells,followed by HL60, MCF7, and HePG2 cells. In in vivo studies, with Ehrlichascites carcinoma bearing mice the pre-treatment of extract caused increasedlife span of animals when compared with untreated irradiated group. Thecombination treatment of Alstonia scholaris extract with cyclophosphamide wasalso found to be most effective against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma as it causedthe highest tumour regression and enhanced the mean and average survival timewhen compared with cyclophosphamide alone treated group

Curcuma longa
When radiation and curcuma were applied together assynergical therapy, curcuma showed a radiation sensitising effect in HeLa,K-562 and IM-9 cell lines. Curcumin, the active constituent from Curcuma longaalso enhances the anticancer potential of Cisplatin and reduces itsnephrotoxicity in fibrosarcoma bearing rats

Heliotropium indicum
In a Phase I study consisting of Solid tumour patients whohave undergone prior chemotherapy/ radiation therapy, Indicine N-oxide, analkaloid from Heliotropium indicum have shown some improvement against skin melanomaand ovarian carcinoma

Moringa oleifera
Pre-treatment with the leaf extract of M. oleifera exhibitssignificant radiation protection to the bone marrow chromosomes in mice andthis could be useful to overcome side effects of radiation therapy

Nigella sativa
In mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, thymoquinone(TQ), the main constituent of the Nigella sativa oil, significantly enhancedthe therapeutic efficacy of ifosfamide by improving its antitumour effect andreducing its nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, mice treated with ifosfamide incombination with TQ showed less body weight loss and mortality rate compared toIFO single therapy

Ocimum sanctum

Orientin and Vicenin, two water-soluble flavonoids isolatedfrom the leaves of Ocimum sanctum have shown significant protection to thehuman lymphocytes against the clastogenic effect of radiation, radiationlethality and chromosomal aberrations in vivo. This radioprotection associatedwith their antioxidant activity may have clinical potential in cancer therapy
Taxus buccata

In a Phase II study, the triplet regimen based on taxol(active constituent of Taxus buccata), ifosfamide, and carboplatin has provedactive, safe, and easy to deliver on an outpatient basis for patients withadvanced stage IIIB-IV non-small-cell lung cancer [102]. Another combination ofHerceptin with Taxol significantly improves the overall response rate,increases the time to progression and the overall survival in breast cancerpatients. These effects are more pronounced in patients characterized withHER/2 +++ over expression Taxol also exerts a weak radiosensitising effect onbreast and cervical carcinoma cells on the basis of an optimal Taxol/radiationscheduling

Withania somnifera

W. somnifera when administered for 4 days before paclitaxeltreatment and continued for 12 days caused significant reversal of neutropeniaof paclitaxel in mice. It can be used as an adjuvant during cancer chemotherapyfor the prevention of bone marrow depression associated with anticancer drugs[105]. The active component, withaferin A isolated from the extract showedsignificant antitumour and radiosensitising effects in experimental tumours invivo, without any noticeable systemic toxicity [106]. In Ehrlich ascitescarcinoma mice, the extract showed dose dependent inhibition on tumour growthand increased the survival rate. Combination of radiation therapy with extractincreased tumour cure and tumour-free survival [107].It also reducescyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression and leucopoenia can be useful in combinationchemotherapy