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Review
Cancer is a leading cause of death in man. Treatment of cancer usually involves a combination of
surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy but despite these therapeutic options, cancer remains
associated with high mortality. As chemotherapy destroys the normal cells along with cancer cells,
biological active components from plants are significant and important source of new drugs that are
likely to lead to new drugs that will likely lead to new and better treatments for cancer. Various cancer
and cancer-related conditions have been treated for ages by local herbalists and many plants have been
reported as useful in the management of such conditions. However, there is little or no literature on the
anticancer properties of medicinal plants used in ethnomedicine in Nigeria. This review seeks to justify,
scientifically, the use of some of the plants used by traditional medical practitioners in the treatment of
cancer in Nigeria.
Keywords: Chemotherapy, cancer, ethnomedicine, herbalists.
INTRODUCTION
Cancer is a dreadful disease caused by abnormal and
uncontrolled cell division. Cancer, after cardiovascular
disease, is the second leading cause of death (Kutluk
and Kars, 1998; Turkistan, 2005). Out of about 10 million
people diagnosed of cancer every year about 6 million
die of the disease (Pinar, 1998). Deaths from cancer
worldwide are projected to continue rising with an
estimated 12 million deaths by 2030(Wang et al., 2007).
The major causes of cancer are smoking, dietary
imbalances, hormones and chronic infections leading to
chronic inflammation (Ames and Gold, 1995). The most
frequent types of cancer worldwide in order of the
number of global deaths are: among men- lung, stomach,
liver, colorectal, oesophagus and prostate; and among
women- breast, lung, stomach colorectal and cervical
(Abiodun et al., 2010). Treatment of cancer usually
involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy but despite this therapeutic options,
cancer remains associated with high mortality. Various
cancer and cancer-related conditions have been treated
for ages by local herbalists for ages (Sofowora, 1984)
and many plants have been reported as useful in the
management of such conditions. As chemotherapy
destroys the normal cells along with cancer cells,
Alawode 9
Alawode 11
Psorospermum febrifugum
It is called Legun-oko in south western Nigeria. Kupchan
et. al (1980) reported the isolation of a new antileukemic
xanthone, psorospermin from an ethanolic extract of
Psorospermum febrifugum when it was fractionated with
antileukemic activity in vivo in the P388 lymphocytic
leukemia in mice and in vitro in the KB cell culture system
used as a guide. Psorospermin was demonstrated to
have significant antitumor activity in the P388 in vivo
system as well as cytotoxicity against the KB in in vitro
system. Marston et. al (1986) isolated five anthranoid
pigments, including a new anthraquinone and a new
tetrahydroanthracene,
from
the
root
bark
of
Psorospermum febrifugum Spach (Guttiferae). Cytotoxic
activity of these pigments against the human colon
carcinoma cell line Co-115 was investigated. The
tetrahydroanthracenes vismione D and acetylvismione D
exerted reproducible cytotoxicity in this new in vitro test
system.
Annona muricata L (Soursop)
It belongs to the family Annonaceae. It is commonly
called sharp-sharp in parts of Nigeria. The fruits and the
leaves are also used in the treatment of dysentery and
fever in parts of the country. Hamizah et. al (2012)
evaluated the chemopreventive effects of ethanolic
extracts of leaves of A. muricata (AMLE) in 6-7 week old
ICR mouse given a single topical application of 7,12dimethylbenza()anthracene
(DMBA
100g/100l
acetone) and promotion by repeated application of croton
oil (1% in acetone/twice a week) for 10 weeks.
Morphorlogical tumor incidence, burden and volume were
measured, with histological evaluation of skin tissue.
Topical application of AMLE at 30, 100 and 300mg/kg
significantly reduced DMBA/croton oil induced mice skin
papillomagenesis in (i) peri-initiation protocol (AMLE from
7 days prior to 7 days after DMBA), (ii) promotion
protocol (AMLE 30 minutes after croton oil), or (iii) both
peri-initiation and promotion protocol (AMLE 7 days prior
to 7 day after DMBA and AMLE 30 minutes after croton
oil throughout the experimental period), in a dose
dependent manner (p<0.05) as compared to carcinogen
treated control. Furthermore, the average latent period
was significantly increased in the AMLE-treated group.
Interestingly, at 100 and 300 mg/ kg, AMLE completely
inhibited the tumor development in all stages.
Histopathological study revealed that tumor growth from
the AMLE-treated groups showed only slight hyperplasia
and absence of keratin pearls and rete ridges. The
results, thus suggest that the A. muricata leaves extract
was able to suppress tumor initiation as well as tumor
promotion even at lower dosage. Rachmani et. al (2012)
determined the cytotoxic effects of extracts of leaves of
Vernonia amygdalina
Yedjou et. al (2008) assessed the therapeutic efficacy of
Vernonia amygdalina (VA) leaf extracts as anti-cancer
agent against human breast cancer in vitro using the
MTT [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide and alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis
(Comet) assays, respectively. In this experiment, human
breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cells were treated with
different doses of VA leaf extracts for 48 hours. Data
obtained from the MTT assay showed that VA
significantly ((P < 0.05) reduced the viability of MCF-7
cells in a dose-dependent manner upon 48 hours of
exposure. Data generated from the comet assay also
indicated a slight dose-dependent increase in DNA
damage in MCF-7 cells associated with VA treatment. A
slight increase in comet tail-length, tail arm and tail
moment, as well as in percentages of DNA cleavage at
all doses tested, showed an evidence that VA-induced
minimal genotoxic damage in MCF-7 cells. Taken
together, this suggests that VA treatment moderately (P <
0.05)
reduces
cellular
viability
and
induces minimal DNA damage in MCF-7 cells. These
findings provide evidence that VA extracts represent a
DNA-damaging anti-cancer agent against breast cancer
and its
mechanisms of action functions,
at least in part, through minimal DNA damage and
moderate toxicity in tumors cells. Anastasia (2011)
discussed the multi-faceted and multi-linked mechanisms
by which cancer tissue inhibition and destruction is
achieved by Vernonia amygdalina extract. Cancer cell
inhibition by V. amygdalina is suggested to occur through
inhibition of sterol 14--demethylase, a microsomal P450dependent enzyme system) of the membrane of the
cancer cell. Inhibition of this enzyme impairs the
biosynthesis of ergosterol for the cytoplasmic membrane.
This
impairment
of
the
synthesis
of
ergosterol disrupts the close packing of acyl chains of
phospholipids and impairs the function of some
membrane-bound enzyme systems like ATPase and
enzymes of electron-transport system of the cancer cells.
V. amygdalina extract inhibits sterol 14--demethylase by
acting on 3 adrenergic
Securidaca longepedunculata
It belongs to the family Polygalaceae. It is called Uwar
Magunguna in Hausaland, literally translated "the mother
of all drugs" a tribute to its very numerous medicinal
uses. Lawal (2012) studied to determine the in vitro and
in vivo cytotoxic activity and possible pro-apoptotic effect
of Securidaca longepedunculata aqueous extract (SLE)
on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. In vitro cytotoxic
activity was determined using the Trypan blue assay by
incubating Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells with 0.1, 1, 10,
100 and 1000 g/ml of Securidaca longepedunculata
aqueous extract. In vivo study was carried out by
intraperitoneal administration of doses of 10, 25, 50 and
75 mg/kg bodyweight of SLE to tumour-bearing mice.
Isolated DNA from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells in
treated and untreated animals was used for DNA
fragmentation assay on agarose gel. Securidaca
longepedunculata aqueous extract, SLE was cytotoxic to
Ehrlich ascites both in vivo and in vitro. The IC50 of SLE
was 67g/ml. SLE caused a decrease in angiogenesis as
observed in the reduction in weight of treated animals
and a reduction in volume of ascitic fluid in treated mice.
DNA fragmentation assay of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma
cells from treated animals and apoptotic blebbing, as
visualized under giemsa staining, also depicted a
possible pro-apoptotic effect of the Securidaca
longepedunculata extract due to the ladder forming
pattern which was comparable to that of the standard
drug (fluorouracil).
Plumbago zeylanica
It belongs to the family Plumbaginaceae. It is called
inabiri in south western Nigeria. The roots pounded with
vegetable oil are used as a treatment for rheumatic
swellings in some parts of Nigeria. Datta (2012) reported
that Plumbagin, isolated from the roots of Plumbago
zeylanica significantly suppressed growth of Raji, Calu-1,
HeLa, and Wish tumor cell lines. Hiradeve et al. (2010)
Alawode 13
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