A research team from the North-West University in South Africa is investigating extracts from the local shrub Lessertia frutescens and their effects on human cancer cells. The plant, commonly known as cancer bush, has been used for many years in traditional South African medicine, as reported by
IOL.
Laboratory studies have shown that extracts from the plant are active against various types of cancer, including drug-resistant small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
According to Crisna Gouws, a professor in the Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences, extracts of the plant were tested on human tumour cells in culture, as well as on more complex models known as “mini-tumours” or spheroids.
The plant’s activity in tumour cells resistant to traditional therapies has sparked particular interest among scientists.
“This provides us with new avenues to investigate for treatment options to treat cancers currently considered incurable,” said Gouws.
Experts are now studying the plant’s phytochemicals to identify the molecules responsible for the anti-tumour activity and understand their mechanism of action.
The next stage of the work involves animal testing, which should confirm the safety and efficacy of the approach before moving on to clinical trials.
In parallel, scientists are developing a complementary medicine product based on the plant. According to them, this research may, in the future, expand access to local herbal medicines and open up new opportunities for the agricultural sector.
Scientists from BRICS countries are exploring the therapeutic potential of plants, plant extracts and natural compounds for the treatment of various diseases.
The Federal University of Para, in Brazil, is also studying the efficacy of essential oils from Amazonian plants, such as cinnamon and cipo-alho, in cancer therapy. Initial laboratory tests have shown that these oils can act selectively on cancer cells, sparing healthy ones. In the case of cinnamon, the gastric cancer cell line proved to be around five times more sensitive to the oil than healthy cells. Garlic vine, meanwhile, demonstrated cytotoxic potential against various tumour lines, even at low concentrations. The research is still in its early stages, with more in-depth molecular analyses, 3D culture tests and in vivo studies planned to confirm the safety and efficacy of the method, according to the Brazilian government’s
website.
Chinese scientists have identified silibin, a natural compound associated with traditional Chinese medicine, capable of inhibiting the growth of liver cancer cells. The substance interferes with the lactate transport mechanism, which plays an important role in nourishing cancer cells. According to
Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS, laboratory experiments have confirmed that the compound inhibits tumour growth in cell cultures and in animal tests, which could serve as a basis for the development of new anti-tumour approaches.
Experts at Andalas University (UNAND) in Indonesia are studying a combination of local medicinal plants – cinnamon, ground cherry and Dayak onion – for the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. In animal experiments, the plant extracts helped to normalise glucose levels and blood pressure, as well as reducing inflammation. Before any potential application in humans, the researchers plan to conduct further studies, reports
ANTARA.