Therapeutic enhancement potential of ayurvedic herbs on cancer chemotherapy/radiation 


Name of the herb
Chemotherapy/ayurvedic herb intervention studies
Allium sativum
Water-soluble derivative of garlic, S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC), inhibited proliferation and cell cycle progression in two human colon cancer 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 SS with SAMC
enhanced the growth inhibitory and apoptotic effects of SS, suggesting the usefulness of SAMC alone or in combination with SS or other chemopreventive agents [92]
Aloe vera
In a randomised double-blinded clinical trial, comparing mild soap and aloe vera gel against incidence of radiation therapy induced skin reactions, the median time of five weeks was taken to show any skin changes in the aloe/soap treatment versus three weeks in the soap only treatment. The protective effect of adding
aloe to the soap regimen increases during long time radiation exposure [93]. In another clinical trial involving patients with advanced solid tumours, for whom no other standard effective therapy was available, combination of pineal indole melatonin (MLT) plus Aloe vera extracts produced some therapeutic benefits,
at least in terms of stabilization of disease and survival when compared to MLT alone treatment [94]
Alstonia scholaris
The Alstonia scholaris extract pre-treatment increased the effect 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 Ehrlich ascites carcinoma bearing mice the pre-treatment of extract caused increased life span of animals when compared with untreated irradiated group [95]. The combination treatment of Alstonia scholaris extract with cyclophosphamide was also found to be most effective against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma as it caused the
highest tumour regression and enhanced the mean and average survival time when compared with cyclophosphamide alone treated group [96]
Curcuma longa
When radiation and curcuma were applied together as synergical therapy, curcuma showed a radiation sensitising effect in HeLa, K-562 and IM-9 cell lines [97]. Curcumin, the active constituent from Curcuma longa also enhances the anticancer potential of Cisplatin and reduces its nephrotoxicity in fibrosarcoma bearing rats [78]
Heliotropium indicum
In a Phase I study consisting of Solid tumour patients who have undergone prior chemotherapy/ radiation therapy, Indicine N-oxide, an alkaloid from Heliotropium indicum have shown some improvement against skin melanoma and ovarian carcinoma [98]
 
Moringa oleifera
Pre-treatment with the leaf extract of M. oleifera exhibits significant radiation protection to the bone marrow chromosomes in mice and this could be useful to overcome side effects of radiation therapy [99]
Nigella sativa
In mice bearing Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the Nigella sativa oil, significantly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of ifosfamide by improving its antitumour effect and reducing its nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, mice treated with ifosfamide in combination with TQ showed less body weight loss and mortality rate compared to IFO single therapy [100]
Ocimum sanctum
Orientin and Vicenin, two water-soluble flavonoids isolated from the leaves of Ocimum sanctum have shown significant protection to the human lymphocytes against the clastogenic effect of radiation, radiation lethality and chromosomal aberrations in vivo. This radioprotection associated with their antioxidant activity may have clinical potential in cancer therapy [101]
Taxus buccata
In a Phase II study, the triplet regimen based on taxol (active constituent of Taxus buccata), ifosfamide, and carboplatin has proved active, safe, and easy to deliver on an outpatient basis for patients with advanced stage IIIB-IV non-small-cell lung cancer [102]. Another combination of Herceptin with Taxol significantly improves the overall response rate, increases the time to progression and the overall survival in breast cancer patients. These effects are more pronounced in patients characterized with HER/2 +++ over expression [103]. Taxol also exerts a weak radiosensitising effect on breast and cervical carcinoma cells on the basis of an optimal Taxol/radiation scheduling [104]
Withania somnifera
W. somnifera when administered for 4 days before paclitaxel treatment and continued for 12 days caused significant reversal of neutropenia of paclitaxel in mice. It can be used as an adjuvant during cancer chemotherapy for the prevention of bone marrow depression associated with anticancer drugs [105]. The active component, withaferin A isolated from the extract showed significant antitumour and radiosensitising effects in experimental tumours in vivo, without any noticeable systemic toxicity [106]. In Ehrlich ascites carcinoma mice, the extract showed dose dependent inhibition on tumour growth and increased the survival rate. Combination of radiation therapy with extract increased tumour cure and tumour-free survival [107].It also reduces cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression and leucopoenia can be useful in combination chemotherapy [108,109]

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