Researchers have found that using scent leaf or sweet basil and
bitter leaf in combination or singly could stop the growth of breast,
lung and prostate cancers.
They have also found that aqueous extract of bitter leaf (Vernonia
amygdalina) could be used as adjuvant in the management of people living
with Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS); and for restoration of skin colour and form as well as
calming and vitalizing the body.
Botanically called Vernonia amygdalina, bitter leaf is of the plant
family Compositae. It is called ewuro in Yoruba and onugbu in Ibo. It is
a small shrub that grows predominantly in the tropical Africa. In
Nigeria, the plant is locally called bitter leaf due to its bitter
taste.
Botanically called Ocimum gratissimum, scent leaf or Basil belongs to
the mint family Lameacea. It is called effirin in Yoruba and nchuanwu
or arigbe in Ibo.
Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum are among the
traditionally used herbal plants to treat different ailments. Vernonia
amygdalina has been found useful in the ethno therapy of asthma,
schistosomiasis, malaria, measles, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, abdominal
pain and fever.
Ocimum gratissimum is commonly used in cooking due to its minty
aromatic flavour. Traditionally, Ocimum gratissimum has been used for
the treatment of headache, diarrhoea, wart worms and kidney infections.
The leaves of the African varieties of Ocimum gratissimum are said to
contain thymol oil, which has been found to be highly antiseptic and
also used to prevent mosquito bite. Vernonia amygdalina and Ocimum
gratissimum have been found to have anti-diabetic properties and boost
the immune system.
As one of the plants that form a major portion of the naturalist’s
pharmacopeia in Nigeria, bitter leaf has been shown to possess diverse
therapeutic effects such as anti-malarial, anti-microbial
(anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-plasmodial, among others),
anti-diabetic and anti-cancer effects. The anti-cancer effect of VA was
first shown in human carcinoma of nasopharynx and later in leukemia
cells P-388 and L-1210 using the chloroform extract of VA. Different
extracts of VA have thus been used in scientific research to reveal the
therapeutic properties of this plant.
A new study has found that scent leaf stops breast cancer. The study
titled “Ocimum gratissimum retards breast cancer growth and progression
and is a natural inhibitor of matrix metalloproteases” was published in
Cancer Biology & Therapy journal.
The researchers wrote: “Ocimum genus (a.k.a holy basil or tulsi) is a
dietary herb used for its multiple beneficial pharmacologic properties
including anti-cancer activity. Here we show that crude extract of
Ocimum gratissimum (OG) and its hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions
(HB and HL) differentially inhibit breast cancer cell chemotaxis and
chemoinvasion in vitro and retard tumor growth and temporal progression
of MCF10ADCIS.com xenografts, a model of human breast comedo-ductal
carcinoma in situ (comedo-DCIS).
“OG-induced inhibition of tumor growth was associated with decreases
in basement membrane disintegration, angiogenesis and matrix
metalloproteases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 activities as confirmed by in situ
gelatin zymography and cleavage of galectin-3. There was also decrease
in MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities in the conditioned media of OG-treated
MCF10AT1 and MCF10AT1-EIII8 premalignant human breast cancer cells as
compared with control.
“The MMP-2 and MMP-9 inhibitory activities of OG were verified in
vitro using gelatin, a synthetic fluorogenic peptide and recombinant
galectin-3 as MMP substrates. Mice fed on OG-supplemented drinking water
showed no adverse effects compared with control. These data suggest
that OG is non-toxic and that the anti-cancer therapeutic activity of OG
may in part be contributed by its MMP inhibitory activity.”
Also, a Nigerian born Professor of Biology, Ernest Izevbigie has patented a formula made from bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina).
This bitter leaf-based formula is a proven anti-diabetic and
anti-cancer formula in laboratory and clinical trials. This formula
product can also benefit HIV/AIDS patients. It has been patented: U.S.
Patent 6,713,098 in 2004 and the second 6,848,604 in 2005.
Izevbigie said: “We found that in using the plant material (from
Vernonia amygdalina), some compounds from the extracts were able to
inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Later through collaborative
research, we found they were also effective in other tumor cells.”
Izevbigie explained that evidence from cell culture and animal
studies research and reports from individuals reveal that bitter leaf
formula supplement may abate or improve the health conditions or
symptoms of HIV/AIDS patients including abrosia (wasting away), nausea
and vomiting, compromised immune systems etc. Bitter leaf
supplement-induced stimulation of the immune system offers hope to many
suffering with AIDS related diseases.
The professor further explained that available data shows that bitter
leaf extracts might be effective against herpes virus, and against
Kaposi sarcomas (KS), a tumour caused by Human herpes virus 8 (HHV8).
Some of the principal chemical compounds found in the bitter leaf
herb are known as steroid glycosides – type vernonioside B1. These
compounds possess potent anti-parasitic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory,
and anti-bacterial effects.
Intercedd Health Products (IHP) is blazing the trail with the
introduction of Vernonia Ocimum Tea into the Nigerian market. Vernonia
Ocimum Tea is made from Vernonia amaygdalina and Ocimum gratissimum.
The indication on the product reads: “Vernonia amaygdalina is a shrub
that grows in tropical Africa. It is commonly called bitter leaf
because of its bitter taste. The bitterness is as a result of the
presence of the sesquiterpenes lactones and steroid glycosides, which
are responsible for the activity.
“Ocimum gratissimum, Scent Leaf, is rich in alkaloids, tannins;
flavonoid, phytates and oligosaccharides which are responsible for its
medicinal properties.
Vernonia Ocimum tea has immense health benefits such as body weight
management, easy bowel evacuation, cleansing of the body system and
control of body sugar.”
IHP has also developed another immune booster, Immunovit IHP.
According to the developer and professor of pharmacognosy, Maurice Iwu,
Immunovit-IHP a disease-fighting supplement, designed to boost immunity
against a wide variety of ailments, was crafted to combine the health
restoring benefits of Ganoderma mushroom, the antioxidant properties of
pomegranate fruits and the adaptogenic/immune enhancing effects of
Korean ginseng root extract.
Iwu told The Guardian: “Immunovit-IHP is indicated as a general
detoxifier and immune system booster. It has been shown to be valuable
in the management of chronic diseases including diabetes. The primary
active ingredient of Immunovit – IHP is the Asian mushroom, Ganoderma
lucidium or also called ‘Reishi’. The major constituents include
Ganoderma triterpenoids and polysaccharides which are unique to Reishi
and not found in significant quantities in other plants. Over 150
triterpenoids are found in G. lucidium, which are responsible for some
of the numerous pharmacological effects associated with the mushroom.
“The second component of Immunovit – IHP is dried extract of the
fruits of Punica granatum, which retains the poly-phenols that prevent
the harmful effects of singlet oxygen and other pro-inflammatory free
radicals that cause tissue damage in diabetes. The formulation also
contains aged Korean ginseng, Panax ginseng, an adaptogen with broad
spectrum of beneficial activities, including detoxification, cardiotonic
health and stress reduction.”
On the major indications of Immunovit IHP, Iwu said: “As immune
booster, apart from its acclaimed use to provide non-specific support
for whole system and tissue-level repair and recuperation, IMMUNOVIT-IHP
increases the immunoglobulin levels, it provides strong body immunity,
and the course of chronic diseases may be reversed.
“As antioxidant, IMMUNOVIT-IHP is the miracle solution which acts
against the free oxygen radicals-known as the scourge of humanity. Free
oxygen radicals have long been known to damage our cellular structures,
genes, DNA and RNA causing premature ageing and over 4000 diseases.
IMMUNOVIT-IHP removes bad chemicals from the body, promotes new skin to
replace the old ones therefore making you look younger all the time.
“As anti-viral, IMMUNOVIT-IHP reduces or stops the growth of all
viruses including the dreaded ones by the production of Interferon.
IMMUNOVIT-IHP increases killer cells (cells that fight against foreign
bodies in the human body) activity, and also stops the immune system
from attacking the host tissue.”
On other health benefits, Iwu said: “IMMUNOVIT-IHP is particularly
useful in the management of metabolic disorders, or the so-called
Metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome (MetS), also known as insulin
resistance syndrome or syndrome X, is the name of a group of risk
factors that commonly occur together and include hypertension, abdominal
obesity, dyslipidemia, and dysglycemia. The use of Immunovit is likely
to reduce the risk for the chronic co-morbidities, particularly
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
that often occur with elevated blood sugar.
“In summary, as a result of its activity against metabolic disorders,
Immunovit can be used in the management of diabetes, obesity, blood
pressure, kidney diseases, liver diseases, insomnia and other sleep
disorders, ulcer diseases, detoxifier and energizer, anti-allergy, anti –
inflammatory, anticoagulant, cardiotonic.”
Meanwhile, scent leaf, since ancient times has been one of the most
popular dietary herbs used for its numerous pharmacological properties.
In recent years, resurging interest in its medicinal properties has
led to several studies demonstrating its anti-carcinogenic,
radiation-protecting and free-radical scavenging activities.
Aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum inhibits proliferation,
migration, anchorage-independent growth, induction of COX-2 protein and
three-dimensional growth and morphogenesis of breast cancer cells, while
others have shown that it suppressed A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells’
viability by activation of apoptotic signals and reducing the expression
levels of Bcl-2. Ethanolic extracts of Ocimum sanctum were reported to
be cytotoxic to mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells and reduced
number of tumor nodule formation in LLC-injected mice. Essential oils
isolated from Ocimum viride showed cytotoxic and apoptotic activities
toward the colonic carcinoma cells COLO 205.
The researchers further stated: “Previously, we compared three
species of Ocimum, O. gratissimum, O. sanctum (green) and O. sanctum
(purple) and examined their effect on breast cancer and endothelial cell
migration. The results showed that aqueous extracts from all species
exerted an inhibitory effect on tumor cell migration, but not
significantly on endothelial cell migration. OG also reduced tumor size
and neoangiogenesis in a MCF10ADCIS.com xenograft, a preclinical model
of human breast ductal carcinoma in situ, prompting the need for further
evaluation of its breast cancer preventive and therapeutic properties.
“Numerous studies in preclinical cancer models demonstrated the
ability of MMP inhibitors to delay primary tumor growth and block
metastasis. However, in clinical trials these inhibitors failed due to
significant toxicity and limited clinical efficacy. The paradigm shift
for MMP functions, from destructive enzymes to cell signaling regulators
and disease anti targets28 suggests that the roles of MMPs in disease
development are far more complex than originally thought. Hence in
cancer MMP activities are probably more relevant during early stages of
tumor development with MMP dependent signaling more relevant
biologically than ECM degradation.
“In the present study we report that Ocimum gtatissimum inhibits the
progression of human breast cancer, which is partly due to its property
as natural non-toxic inhibitor of MMP-2/-9 activities.”
Another study published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary
and Alternative Medicine found that extracts of Ocimum gratissimum might
be beneficial to lung carcinoma treatment.
The study is titled “Ocimum gratissimum Aqueous Extract Induces Apoptotic Signalling in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell A549.”
The Taiwanese researchers found: “Ocimum gratissimum (OG) is widely
used as a traditional herb for its antibacterial activity in Taiwan.
Recently, antitumor effect of OG on breast cancer cell is also reported;
however, the effects of OG on human pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell A549
remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether aqueous OG
extract (OGE) affects viability of A549 cells and the signals induced by
OGE in A549 cells.
“Further investigation showed that OGE enhanced activation of
caspase-3, caspase-9 and caspase-8 and increased protein level of Apaf-1
and Bak, but diminished the level of Bcl-2. Additionally, OGE inhibited
the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) yet
enhanced the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38
MAP kinase (p38). In conclusion, our findings indicate that OGE
suppressed the cell viability of A549 cells, which may result from the
activation of apoptotic signaling and the inhibition of anti-apoptotic
signaling, suggesting that OGE might be beneficial to lung carcinoma
treatment.”
Results of another study published in Journal of Health Care for the
Poor and Underserved encouraged the further studies of Ocimum
gratissimum as a potential treatment of prostate cancer.
The researchers wrote: “In this study, the antiproliferative activity
of the organic solvent-soluble and aqueous extracts of Ocimum
gratissimum leaf against the prostate cancer cells PC3·AR were evaluated
by their inhibitory effects on the Androgen Receptor (AR) and Survivin
protein. Two organic solvent-soluble extracts P2 and P3–2, and a water-
soluble extract, PS/PT1, were found to reduce AR and Survivin levels in a
time-dependent manner.
“In addition, extract PS/PT1, also exhibited the inhibitory activity
in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first time that the inhibitory
eff ects of O. gratissimum extracts have been evaluated on the Androgen
Receptor (AR) and Survivin protein. The results encouraged the further
studies of O. gratissimum as a potential treatment of prostate cancer.”
Researchers have also found that the anti-cancer activities of
Vernonia amygdalina extract in human breast cancer cell lines are
mediated through caspase-dependent and p53-independent pathways
The researcher was published in PLOS O
These
plants are also able to prevent cancer and reduce cholesterol. In
diabetes mellitus, especially non-insulin dependent (NID diabetes),
Scent may lower blood sugar levels and protect the pancreas cells that
produce insulin from damage.
Bitter
Leaf has Latin name as Andrographis Paniculate Ness. It is efficacious
as a medicine. This plant is thought to have come from tropical Asia. In
many areas, Sambiloto known Andiloto (Java), Jambiroto/Pepaitan
(Madura), Chuan Xin Lin (China), Ki Oray (Sunda), and many
others. During this time of bitter leaf known as bitterness. But
apparently behind the bitter taste possessed turned out to contain a
variety of many benefits for our health.
